Rep. Michele Bachmann: Happy Birthday, Elvis…Oops.
By Art Harris, The Bald Truth, (c) www.artharris.com, all rights reserved
As a cub reporter, I covered the King’s funeral after he died of a drug overdose on Aug. 16, 1977, and tromped through Memphis woods to dodge security and get a closer look, then returned for the first anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birthday, Jan. 8…
Both dates are sacred pop culture days to remember, to mourn and celebrate for millions of fans who consider Memphis Mecca and virtually deify Elvis, a lightning rod for that Nascar demo of voters no Presidential candidate can do without.
But Michele Bachmann (R-Mn.) may have to after blowing a shameless, no brainer attempt to align the heart of her candidacy with America’s bedrock voters, Elvis fans, calling for an all-out, Hound Dog, Blue Suede appreciation of the King on his Birthday…
Only it wasn’t…Oops.
It was August 16, 2011…34 years after he was found dead of a drug overdose in the bathroom at Graceland when The Tea Party Queen, a GOP primary frontrunner, danced to the mike on the campaign trail, happy as a clam Tuesday with a Happy Birthday shout out to a rock ghost that will surely be compared to Sarah Palin’s Big Oops when the ex governor claimed she could “see Russia from Alaska.”
The question remains: will Bachmann’s gaffe take on political litmus test status with voters trying to assess the heart, soul and brain of their future Commander in Chief? If nothing else, could it be used by opponents to smear the candidate as out of touch with America’s rock history…and unfit to go Dancing With The Stars?
Or….. was it deliberate? A calculated gaffe dreamed by a saavy GOP braintrust taking a lead from the Palin Playbook — score free media and mainstream their best goofball by teeing her up to get recruited by SNL or Jon Stewart bookers…?
Listen out for official spin that calls it a minor messup Rep. Bachmann can blow off, gambling people will forget, while leveraging her name recognition.
Tina Fey, where art thou?
August 18th, 2011 at 2:47 am
Politicians are WRONG nine times out of ten. Not surprised at all that Bachman got the dates wrong, since she was ONLY interested in using the King.
August 18th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
(Sniff) that's my little southern nose you hear before I say, "How distasteful!!" aloud, and under my breath "How dumb. The last thing a candidate needs is to appear stupid."
August 30th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Better to know now than later. Heaven help us if this person manages somehow to get elected. JMO of course.
August 18th, 2011 at 11:44 pm
Bachman was 21 when Elvis died. She wasn't a young child, and should have remembered the 16th was his death, and not his birthday.. I heard the audience chanting "Noooo", when she said it..There will be many gaffes from all of the candidates in the fifteen months remaining before the election..I don't hold it against her. I would rather focus on what she is going to do to create jobs, get us out of debt, and how she will handle the energy crisis, to name a few.. I remember well where I was when Elvis died..I was driving home from work, and had to pull over. I couldn't see the road for my tears…A very sad day for his fans…Maybe Bachman was not into his music, and didn't care for Elvis, or his singing, and this was a true mistake.. I don't think it was a calculated gaffe….I'm sure she will remember the day he died from now on..
August 19th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Excellent comment, as always, Marti.