Michele Bachmann photo

Remarks in West Des Moines Following the Iowa Caucus

January 03, 2012

Thank you Brad. I appreciate that. I was introduced in all 99 counties with that same phrase, "Pound for pound, no one takes it to them more." I can't thank him enough, and the entire Iowa team, you guys, thank you for everything y'all have done. I just have some prepared remarks. I'm so grateful that you're here, and then we'll have a party afterwards, so stick around. Thank you so much, everyone. And thank you, too, to Iowa, my home state.

I've called Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry to congratulate each one of them on their respective places this evening in the lineup. The people of Iowa have spoken, and they have written the very first chapter in this long journey to take our country back from Barack Obama. And make no mistake, we will.

Once again, this wonderful republic that we are privileged to live in has worked. The process worked. It's the people of Iowa who chose tonight. It wasn't the pundits, it wasn't the media, and while this has been a very tough campaign, we should never forget that its crucible will make the eventual nominee tried for even the tougher battle that is yet to come against Barack Obama.

I am so proud of the people who have run our campaign here in Iowa and I will be forever grateful to this wonderful state and to the wonderful people of Iowa for launching us on our path to victory in the Iowa straw poll. And this state has given voice to people all over our country, that Barack Obama's liberal policies are finished. And that in 2012, there will be another occupant in the White House. Who knows, maybe even another Michelle in the White House. [applause]

And that once again, it's the people's voice that will be heard there. And make no mistake, as I have said often and early, on this campaign, Barack Obama will be a one-term president. Did you hear that, America? You heard it here from Iowa.

I'm a very real person. I am not a politician, nor do I ever hope or aspire to be a politician. I saw what the government was doing to all of us, to our children, and doing to our liberties. And so I decided to stand up. I decided that I was going to fight not only for our five children and our 23 foster children, but also for your children too, because they deserve it. We deserve to give them a better and a more hopeful future. It's really true, and I'm sorry to say we have strayed from the vision of our founders' view of government and the 2012 election might very well be our last opportunity to reclaim our liberty from a government that somehow seems bent on taking more and more of it away from us every day.

But since day one of Barack Obama's presidency, I have led the fight in Washington against his liberal socialist policies. And when the president wanted a $1 trillion stimulus package, I said no. And when the president pushed to take over your health care and replace it with socialized medicine, I led 40,000 people to Washington, D.C., to let the president know that the American people were against it. We don't want socialized medicine. We're not going to keep socialized medicine. And Barack Obama's socialized medicine will be repealed. [applause]

When the president said last summer he wanted to raise the debt limit to an unbelievable $16 trillion, I said no. Over the last three years, the American people have tragically been deprived in their president a leader, as he routinely withers when he's confronted with paramount challenges of our generation.

President Obama is guarded and guided by his hardened ideology, and he's withheld any prospect for economic recovery, as he routinely places his own political fortunes and his own re-election plans above the interests of the American people.

Look no further than his denial of building the Keystone 2 pipeline. That was all about his re-election, nothing to do with energy independence for the American people. His liberal reign will end and the American people in our economy will finally be free, because you see, what we need is a candidate in the likeness and image of a Ronald Reagan, who has bold differences necessary to take on a Barack Obama. What we need is a fearless conservative, one with no compromises on their record, on spending, on health care, on crony capitalism, on defending America, on standing with our ally, Israel, on securing our border from illegal immigrants, or on defending innocent, unborn life or protecting marriage between one man and one woman.

If anyone's confused, so we can defeat Barack Obama and his failed socialist policies. I believe that I am that true conservative who can and who will defeat Barack Obama in 2012.

And over the next few days, just be prepared, the pundits and the press will again try to pick the nominee based on tonight's results, but there are many more chapters to be written on the path to our party's nomination. And I'd prefer to let the people of the country decide who will represent us.

And, of course, I'm very deeply grateful to our Iowa team, to the many dedicated volunteers who have given so much of their time to this effort. It's absolutely amazing to see our offices filled day after day with young people, as they selflessly volunteered, because they need to have a better future, full of more opportunities than our generation had.

And I also think all of the volunteers who have been there almost on a daily basis making phone calls from before the straw poll. You know who you are. I know who you are. And I thank you for your dedication. I hope you know how much your dedication not only meant to me but to our country.

And of course, it shouldn't be even needed to be said, but it must be said. I must thank my wonderful husband of 33 years, Marcus Bachmann. [applause]

He is the best campaigner in our family. And yesterday when we were out on Main Street in Des Moines, he was buying doggy sunglasses for our dog, boomer, while we were out visiting all the many businesses. And all our children who are here this evening, our son Lucas, our son Harrison, our daughter Elisa, our daughter Caroline, our daughter Sophia, we love them all. Our 23 foster children, we love them. My brothers are here tonight. Scott, I have Paul, I have Gary, we sister-in-law, Lori, and my others who couldn't be here as well. But I'm so grateful for them. And my wonderful mother who if you all wonder where I got my height from, I have no excuse, my mother Jeanne and my stepdad Ray and all of my family who's here.

Their love, their encouragement, their faith means more to me than I can begin to say. But more than anything, I thank the God who loves us, the God who gave us life, who gave us our being, who created and drew this nation into existence. It is to the God of our fathers that we give praise this evening. So I thank you all for being here tonight. God bless you. God bless the United States.

Michele Bachmann, Remarks in West Des Moines Following the Iowa Caucus Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/300307

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