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Macleans.ca

Canada’s magazine

Bachmann drops out of presidential race

Michele Bachmann has ended her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination after a poor showing in the Iowa caucus. The Wall Street Journal reports the Minnesota Representative, who finished a disappointing sixth in Iowa, was running low on campaign funds. She had originally said on Tuesday night after the vote that she would continue. Bachmann had been expected to largely ignore the upcoming New Hampshire primaries on Jan. 10, to focus on South Carolina’s race on Jan. 21.

Obama’s real opponent

Last week’s Republican debate in New Hampshire featured a steady diet of attacks on Barack Obama. Mitt Romney said Obama had failed America. Michele Bachmann declared Obama would be a one-term president. All the candidates, evidently suffering from short memories, blamed today’s economic woes on the Obama administration. Some called his policies European in character and incompatible with American values.

Expect Republicans to get serious

Over the past six months, an array of Republican hopefuls have shown interest in the party’s nomination, but outside of a couple of exploratory committees, none have declared. As a result, celebrity candidates such as Michele Bachmann and Donald Trump have filled the vacuum and are currently dominating the headlines, pushing more serious candidates into the background and making otherwise promising potential candidates hesitate about their prospects.