With the Iowa caucus now less than two weeks away, the formerly wide field of Republican presidential candidates is narrowing further. Early frontrunners, such as Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and businessman Herman Cain, have all taken a nosedive in recent public opinion polls. As is usually the case with politicians, the candidates' own boneheaded blunders caused their fall from grace.
What lessons can the GOP learn from these "don't-ever-do-that-again" mistakes?
Don't take sexual harassment lightly.
Herman Cain found out the hard way that simply waving away allegations of sexual harassment can be fatal to a presidential campaign. The former Godfather's Pizza executive surged in the polls this fall, capturing the hearts and minds of conservatives with his confident speeches and his "9-9-9" tax plan. Then came the women. Five of them to be exact, all stepping forward with stories of Cain's inappropriate sexual behavior and extramarital affairs.
Cain's claimed they were all lying, even after the women produced a paper trail of phone records, text messages, and alleged hush money payments. The voters weren't buying it, however, and Cain's campaign came to an abrupt and embarrassing end Dec. 3. Aw, shucky ducky.
Don't keep repeating the same mistakes.
Of all the hopefuls for the GOP nomination, Michele Bachmann has earned the most four-Pinocchio ratings from the Washington Post for her tendency to keep on repeating statements that have already been proven incorrect. Bachmann's assertions that the HPV vaccine is a "dangerous drug," that "the Congressional Budget Office said Obamacare will kill 800,000 jobs," and that the president's health care plan is "socialized medicine," were all debunked months ago. Yet she continued to repeat these claims, refusing to admit she goofed.
By early fall, Bachmann's staffers, campaign donors, and supporters began to depart her campaign in droves. Recent polls show her tied for tenth place in New Hampshire, falling from second place back in June.
Don't forget to bring your cheat sheet to the podium.
It was the "oops" heard 'round the world. At the CNBC presidential debate, Rick Perry's campaign imploded right before our very eyes. When asked to name which government agencies he would eliminate as president, Perry seemed to experience a case of brain lock. As the world watched in astonishment, Perry stumbled and fumbled for 50 seconds struggling to name the departments of Commerce, Education, and Energy.
Realizing he'd just tanked his own campaign, Perry told reporters after the debate: "I'm glad I had my boots on because I really stepped in it tonight."
Don't underestimate the underdog.
Until recently, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was the guy GOP party establishment types and the mainstream media shunned, ridiculed, or completely overlooked. So invisible was Paul at the televised debates, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart incredulously asked, "how did Ron Paul become the 13th floor in a hotel?" But now he's become the candidate that's impossible to ignore. In the latest Iowa State/Gazette/KCRG survey released Wednesday, Paul has skyrocketed to first place, sailing past Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney and inducing a code red panic within his own party.
This is Dr. Paul's third try for the presidency, having run as a Libertarian in 1988 and as a Republican in 2008. And if his recent surge in the Iowa and New Hampshire polls is any indication, the third time might just be the charm.
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