As expected, the Iowa caucus results have reshaped the whole Republican presidential race and some players decided it is time to back down. It is the case of Michele Bachmann, who came in last in the Iowa caucus and who decided to quit the presidential race, despite earlier statements.
Although polls ahead of the caucus showed that the Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann doesn’t stand much chance of winning, the Republican candidate said she will continue her bid no matter what.
She kept her smile and said there will be “a lot more changes” and that she wouldn’t stop campaigning if she came up short in Iowa. But she did. She won just five per cent of the votes in Iowa, the state where she actually grew up and spent time and money campaigning in the 99 counties.
After the results came in, with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Senator Rick Santorum in lead, Michele Bachmann’s first statements were vows to press on and continue her bid. However, the next day she said: “Last night the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice and so I have decided to stand aside. I have no regrets, none whatsoever. We never compromised our principles”.
Her dream of governing Americans “in the image and likeness of a Ronald Reagan of a Margaret Thatcher” came to an abrupt end. But, she urged Republican voters to unite and stand behind the GOP nominee to take back the country from President Barack Obama. She also referred to the November presidential election to be the last chance “to turn the nation around before we go down the road to socialism”.
Bachmann stated: “I believe that we must rally around the person that our country and our party and our people select to be that our country and our party and our people select to be that standard bearer”.
Her exit gives hope to Rick Perry, who had a disappointing surprise after the Iowa caucus results came in. He came in fifth and said he will have to rethink his strategy. “I’ve decided to return to Texas, to assess the results of tonight’s caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race”, said Perry.
