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Poll: Bachmann Popular In Her District -- Her Constituents Don't Think She's An Extremist!
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
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A new survey by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-MN) high profile as a conservative firebrand doesn't seem to be hurting her back home -- in fact, a majority of her constituents approve of her job performance, and they don't think she's an extremist.
Bachmann's approval rating is 53%, with 41% disapproval. She leads both of her Democratic opponents by substantial margins, ahead of state Sen. Tarryl Clark by 55%-37%, and leading former University of Minnesota regent Maureen Reed by 53%-37%. The pollster notes that the challengers have low name recognition, but the points stands that a well-known incumbent is over the 50-percent mark.
Respondents were also asked: "Do you consider Michele Bachmann's political views to be extremist?" Here the answer is 37% yes, 54% no. This might seem a bit odd; you'd think that usually people would consider it extreme to repeatedly call for revolution, express concerns about census data being used to create internment camps, and warn against "government re-education camps."
Bachmann's district is always tough ground for Democrats. George W. Bush carried it by double-digit margins twice, and John McCain held on to it by 53%-45%. President Obama's approval rating is only 39% in this district, with 55% disapproval. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is at 45%-43%, and Democratic Sen. Al Franken is at 37%-53%. If the horse-race numbers hold up in 2010, then it would be the first time that Bachmann herself would get over 51% support at the polls.
"Michele Bachmann's constituents don't seem to mind her penchant for controversial comments," said PPP president Dean Debnam, in the polling memo. "Given how poorly national Democrats rate in the district they probably agree with a lot of them."
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mike from Arlington
December 22, 2009 12:27 PM
Creepy pic.
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reflectionsv37
December 22, 2009 3:26 PM in reply to mike from Arlington
Creepy person! And her constituents can't be much better!
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JohnMcCSF
December 22, 2009 12:37 PM
Those Minnie-Ha-ha's be suffering brain death from hypothermia
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boycottfaux
December 22, 2009 12:45 PM
Well, GOOD FOR THEM!!
Tells us all something about the 'intelligence' of her constituents . .
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The Watcher
December 22, 2009 12:50 PM
Don't folks understand what this means? Basically the people she represents are so totally whacked out crazy that they think she's 'not extreme enough' for them. Time for another charge of the Light Brigade!
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free2bme
December 22, 2009 12:53 PM
It's Minnesotta, what do you expect?
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IDB
December 22, 2009 1:08 PM in reply to free2bme
Please tell me you're being sarcastic.
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chimpale
December 22, 2009 1:17 PM in reply to free2bme
No, it's Minnesota.
Please explain:
1. Al Franken (D-MN)
2. Keith Ellison (D-MN) (first Muslim elected to House of Representatives)
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ericf
December 22, 2009 1:26 PM in reply to chimpale
You still have some explaining to do. Comparing them to Bachmann is damn well offensive.
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dudeguy
December 22, 2009 1:38 PM in reply to ericf
That's the point, ericf. Chimpale wants free2bme to explain.
And it will take a lot of explaining: Minnesota is the most reliably blue state on the map. It hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Nixon, a current Democratic streak 12 years longer than any other state (except DC, which has never voted Republican). It's the only state that never voted for Reagan.
Sure, things change, and there are bound to be Republican pockets. But for such a state to have one of the nuttiest of the nutties, well, that's weird.
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ericf
December 22, 2009 2:53 PM in reply to dudeguy
Not if you look at her district. Remember she doesn't represent the whole state, just one-eighth. Also remember most people aren't newsjunkies and have no idea what she's been saying. The Democratic candidate is going to have to have enough money to run ads to tell them, because she doesn't show up much outside the conservative media and our critiques thereof.
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July 5, 2010 8:17 AM in reply to dudeguy
Don't forget. Although Reagan didn't campaign here in MN he only lost the vote by 3,000 Voters.
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chimpale
December 22, 2009 3:25 PM in reply to ericf
The point is that, before painting the entire state with a broad brush based one what one gerrymandered district did, please explain how two of the most progressive voices in the House and Senate got (re-)elected.
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momdeyo
December 22, 2009 2:24 PM in reply to chimpale
Don't forget Paul Wellstone!
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chimpale
December 22, 2009 3:27 PM in reply to momdeyo
I never will.
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July 5, 2010 8:19 AM in reply to chimpale
Who?
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agostage
December 22, 2009 3:32 PM in reply to momdeyo
Nor will I
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Fremon
December 22, 2009 6:13 PM in reply to chimpale
Those 2 choices were the best made in MN! Go Dems!
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Nicnack74
December 22, 2009 12:54 PM
As I understand it, her district was successfully gerrymandered for a Republican stronghold. This does not suprise me.
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Tom Servo
December 22, 2009 1:47 PM in reply to Nicnack74
A similar thing happened in NC for the Democrats. Theres a district that snakes along a highway where only Democrat-voting minorities live. Republicans pushed for it to be drawn that way because it strengthens them in surrounding districts, so the same could be going on in MN. If you concede one district to total domination you can gain a significant lead in all the surrounding ones.
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chimpale
December 22, 2009 1:21 PM
If the Dems pussyfoot around again in this election and don't use Bachmann's words against her, she's going to get re-elected. Somewhere in that district there are people who find her lunacy embarrassing. Get them riled!
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Cheryl44
December 22, 2009 1:24 PM
Surely her district is one large gated community. I hope so--I'd hate to inadvertently wander into it when I'm in the neighborhood.
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momdeyo
December 22, 2009 2:36 PM in reply to Cheryl44
Her district has a lot of wealth, yet it is the #1 district for foreclosure. #2 district is Keith Ellison's, which makes more sense, because his district encompasses a lot of urban low income neighborhoods. He has become a machine, cranking out bill after bill to help people stay in their homes, and guess who votes against every one of them? Yep, the same lady whose district has the most per capita folks losing their homes! Way to be in touch with your people, Michelle!
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Matt Jones
December 22, 2009 7:06 PM in reply to Cheryl44
"Gated community" - ha! Is that the new politically-term for "mental hospital"? ;)
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VerbalKint
December 22, 2009 1:42 PM
Bachmann's district is gerrymandered to encompass the redneck belt to the north of the Twin Cities. It is an anomaly in an otherwise liberal state. If you've ever been to Anoka, you can begin to understand Bachmann's support there.
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Weeferdog
December 22, 2009 2:06 PM
Cheryl 44: I was thinking the same thing. A sea of McMansions, huge SUVs and 'screw-you-I've-got-mine' types. In other words, a classic GOP stronghold.
Weeferdog
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Davran
December 22, 2009 2:37 PM in reply to Weeferdog
You left out "land of Megachurches."
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
December 22, 2009 2:13 PM
There are two tactics for gerrymandering, "packing" and "cracking." "Cracking" tries to distribute the minority (in the state legislature) party's voters so that they're in the minority in as many districts as possible. "Packing" tries to concentrate them in as few districts as possible so that the the votes in excess of 50% + 1 get "wasted."
When you "crack" you get disticts that can turn unpleasantly competitive by the time the next census rolls around. When you "pack" you get Michelle Bachmanns.
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Davran
December 22, 2009 2:35 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Exactly. We're stuck with her, but it means it's easier to elect Democrats in all the surrounding districts.
On the bright side, life would be much more boring without Bachmann's distinctive style of crazy.
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matyra
December 22, 2009 2:46 PM in reply to Davran
heh, if "Minnesota" was the title of a book, then the adage "any publicity is good publicity" would be an advantage. But since Minnesota isn't a book, what does her notoriety bring?
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tiowally
December 22, 2009 3:13 PM in reply to matyra
Her notoriety brings a metric for crazy, just as Sarah Palin brings a metric for bald-faced lies, McCain/Lieberman brings a metric for disingenuousness, etc.
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Davran
December 22, 2009 4:04 PM in reply to matyra
One Bachmann gets fewer votes than two or three mainstream Republicans.
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pseudonymous in nc
December 22, 2009 3:16 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Remembering Roman Hruska: shouldn't crazy people have representation too?
I've seen the St Paul exurb side of MN-6: pretty depressing McMiniMansion stuff. It gets really whacko as it heads up to St Cloud.
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agostage
December 22, 2009 3:29 PM
I took that PPP poll as my cell phone is still listed in that district. I'm glad to say I now live in district 5, Keith's district.
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neesy08
December 22, 2009 3:33 PM
how extreme. franken and bachmann.
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dustbunny44
December 22, 2009 3:43 PM
"Check" it out (as she cashes in): Bachman is part owner of a family farm in minnesota that has received over $250,000 in farm subsidies from 1995 - 2006. So besides being weird and ignorant, she's a welfare queen.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/22/michele-bachmans-farm-received-over-250-000-in-federal-subsidi/
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hey norm
December 22, 2009 4:02 PM
dustbunr beat me to the draw...
so the anti-socialist in chief is taking socialist government hand-outs? i'm sure she will return the money...right? not returning it would make her a hypocrit...and republicans are never hypocritical...right?
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Sailormarlowe
December 22, 2009 4:10 PM
Of course, Michele Bachmann is popular with her constituents. She is a great Congresswoman, and a stalwart defender of our Bill of Rights.
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M.L.H.
December 22, 2009 4:21 PM
I do not trust Public Policy Polling (D). Instead of (D) after the company name, it should be (C) for cheap or (S) for slipshod. If you click the link to their .pdf, you'll see it's a robo-poll. A lot of people are going to hang up on a robo-call as soon as they realize there isn't a human being on the other end, and a large percentage of non-participants in a poll will create bias. This has been a well-established tenet of opinion polls since the debacle of the 1936 Literary Digest Poll predicting a landslide victory for Alf Landon over Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
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ns
December 22, 2009 4:32 PM
Well, I guess she does a good job representing her (presumably cave-dwelling) constituents.
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Fremon
December 22, 2009 6:11 PM
Of course they don't think she is an extremist because she represents their values. Now, let's think what that say's about her constituents? Wonder how they now feel when they learn she has taken about $250K in federal farm subisidies over the years on her family farm? But of course, limited minds will not be able to connect those dots of hypocracy!
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USgreentech
December 22, 2009 6:31 PM
Young girls are getting PTSD before your very eyes.
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USgreentech
December 22, 2009 6:32 PM
Young girls are getting PTSD before your very eyes.
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Northern Ned
December 23, 2009 12:56 PM
Her district is north of the Twin Cities up to St. Cloud. It has always been a weird area politically. A bunch of blue collar rednecks, tea baggers, ect. My late father who came of age in the '30's used to say "it must be something in the water". A touch of the Ozarks in MN !!
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