(CNN) – In the scramble for Herman Cain supporters after his exit from the 2012 Republican presidential campaign, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann said Sunday that she has already gotten a boost.
“One thing we’ve seen a lot of is Herman Cain supporters have been calling our office and they’ve been coming over to our side,” Bachmann told CNN’s “State of the Union with Candy Crowley” program, adding “part of that is because people see that I’m the tea party candidate in the race and they saw Herman Cain as an outsider and I think they see that my voice would be the one that would be most reflective of his.”
Fellow Congress member and presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul of Texas also says his candidacy will benefit from Cain’s withdrawal from the race Saturday, but Bachmann said she is more ideologically linked to the tea party movement that liked Cain.
“As tea partiers see where the candidates stand on the issues, they’re going to come home and I think on January 3, a lot will come home,” Bachmann said of the date of the Iowa caucuses, the first formal test of the primary season.
Bachmann won the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa last August, giving her candidacy a boost, but support for her campaign has since fallen, according to national polls.
To Bachmann, the Ames Straw Poll was “the best poll that you had” so far and showed she was the “most electable” in the GOP field.
Iowa caucus-goers “take this process very seriously and they’re vetting all of the candidates” Bachmann said, adding that “there’s a lot of surprises that they’re finding in this race.”
“They’re going to see of all of the candidates, I’m the one that doesn’t have the political surprises,” she said.
Also see:
Cain suspends presidential campaign
Reporter's Notebook: The Rise and Fall of the real Herman Cain
Cain Iowa supporters: Media 'took a good man down'
Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.
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John- I think you'll find on November 6, 2012 that most of America is aligned with the Tea Party mindset. Enough insane spending and growth in government.
She didn't get the memo. The tea party has disbanded
Bachmann/Palin 2012!!!! Because after that, things can't get any worse!
one more repo nut job. do the repos really think the American public is that dumb? Look at what they have presented us with. And now trump is going to moderate a debate. Is this reality tv or a presidental race?? The world is watching and you repos should be so proud of the nasty bunch of rascist you have brought forward. It will be good to see bachmann go by the wayside. Hey how is her book selling???
Ahh, the good old days of the Ames Straw poll, you know, the one where you can pay people to vote for you? Well, at least Michelle has something to look back at fondly in her doddering years which, unfortunately, already seem to be upon her.
Right Michele. It is time for you to suspend your campaign, release your supporters to Newt, and return to Minnesota. Then you can be re-elected to the House by the absolutely insane voters of MN-6.
She's the only one that still thinks the TEA Party is relevant after a year of ruining our political processes and "grabbing PACS and taking tainted money".
Gotta admire this spunky little know nothing!
This woman is so funny. Even if every supporter of Cain will come to her, she will still be lagging behind. I thought she is a clever enough to read the tea leaves!
Get our embassy out of Iran quickly..dont you remember the Iran hostages Michelle we aint had one there for a very very long time.She must be the unintelligent one on the intelligence committee!
When you are 2nd best to Herman Cain, you've hit the bottom.
She and the tea party should retire to a dessert island where they can enjoy each others company and stop afflicting the rest of us.