Michele Bachman Wins Ames Straw Poll

That someone as crazy and unqualified as Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann could win the straw poll today speaks volumes about the intellectual decline of the GOP. The woman has had ZERO legislative accomplishments in Congress and repeatedly has shown herself to be challenged by historical facts that school children learn usually by junior high school. Yet she won the poll followed in a close second place finish by Ron Paul. Driving this intellectual decline of the GOP are "conservative Christians" who put faith before objective facts, science and plain common sense. The only good news is that loons like Rick Santorum, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich were well down in the pack. Rick Perry, who was not even on the ballot secured enough votes to place sixth. Jon Huntsman, perhaps the only truly sane candidate, finished second from dead last. Politico looks at the insanity and here are some highlights:

Riding a surge of support from social conservatives, Michele Bachmann claimed victory Saturday at the Ames GOP straw poll — a triumph that will cement her status as the Iowa frontrunner. The third-term Minnesota congresswoman won 4,823 votes, narrowly edging out Ron Paul, who got 4,671 votes.

“You have just sent a message that Barack Obama will be a one-term president,” Bachmann exclaimed to a swarm of supporters and reporters after the results were announced. “This was a wonderful down-payment on taking the country back.”

Tim Pawlenty, who had spent most of the last month and much of his war chest here in an attempt to win Ames, came in a distant third with 2,293 votes – a disappointing finish that may spell the end of his campaign.

In less than two months since announcing her candidacy in her native Waterloo, the Minnesotan congresswoman rapidly climbed in the polls here and won a passionate following among the Christian conservatives who are a pillar of the Iowa GOP. Bachmann benefited, too, among fiscal conservatives from her intense opposition to raising the debt ceiling — the central political issue in the weeks leading up to the straw poll.

“She’s very conservative, she’s pro-life and she doesn’t flip-flop on the issues, said Lee Guthrie, a farmer and non-denominational pastor from Menlo, Iowa, who sported a Bachmann hat as he slowly shuffled toward her tent.

Santorum and Cain, also, both now will face money-driven decisions about whether they want to continue in the race. For Santorum, who has little cash in the bank, that means whether he wants to incur debt in going forward. And in the case of Cain, the former CEO must decide whether he wants to spend more of his own personal wealth to continue.