When she first started talking about running for president in 2012, we assumed that third-term Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann, like so many other Republicans this year, was just looking for some publicity. And her comments to ABC News yesterday would seem to corroborate such a suspicion:



“I’m in for 2012 in that I want to be a part of the conversation in making sure that President Obama only serves one term, not two, because I want to make sure that we get someone who’s going to be making the country work again. That’s what I’m in for,” Bachmann said.

Being “part of the conversation” sounds a lot more like “getting people to pay attention to me” than “running for president.” But CNN is now reporting that Bachmann, presumably having received a personal request from God, will form an exploratory committee sometime around June, or even before then if it’s required for participation in the campaign season’s early debates, which start in May:

Being “part of the conversation” sounds a lot more like “getting people to pay attention to me” than “running for president.” But CNN is now reporting that Bachmann, presumably having received a personal request from God, will form an exploratory committee sometime around June, or even before then if it’s required for participation in the campaign season’s early debates, which start in May:

“She’s been telling everyone early summer,” the source told CNN regarding Bachmann’s planned June filing and announcement. But the source said that nothing is static.

If she does run, could Bachmann win the Republican nomination? Almost definitely not. Even Republicans will likely recognize that she has too little experience — the last president who hadn’t previously served as a senator, governor, or vice-president was Herbert Hoover Dwight Eisenhower — and too much crazy to beat President Obama, which is ultimately more important to voters than ideological purity. But she’d throw the reddest of red meat to the tea party crowd, stealing votes, dollars, and media attention from similar candidates hoping to appeal to the same audience. And she’d make the race a hell of a lot more entertaining.

CNN Exclusive: Michele Bachmann to form exploratory committee in June, possibly earlier [Political Ticker/CNN]

Palin 2.0? Bachmann Tells ABC News, “I’m In!” [ABC News]