U.S. presidential candidate Michele Bachmann (L) and former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin (R).
They're both conservative trailblazers, one the first female governor of Alaska, the other the first female House member from Minnesota. They are outspoken in their opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion and Obama administration spending.
Now they could be poised to compete against each other for the support of Tea Party voters by seeking the Republican nomination for president.
While Ms. Palin has yet to officially throw her hat in the ring, the idea of a faceoff between the two firebrands has captured the imagination of conservative supporters (and pretty much everyone else) in America. Ms. Palin is undoubtedly more famous, but Ms. Bachmann is making notable headway, proving her ability to ignite crowds at fundraising events and flexing substantial fundraising muscle.
With the title of Tea Party Queen and possibly a shot at the presidency up for grabs, speculation continues to swirl on which of these self-described "Mama Grizzlies" will prevail.
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Michele Bachmann |
Name |
Sarah Palin |
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55 |
Age |
47 |
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Minnesota |
Home state |
Alaska |
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Married Marcus Bachmann in 1978. They have five children and have provided foster care for 23 other children. |
Family |
Married Todd Palin, her high school sweetheart, in 1988. They have five children and one grandchild. |
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Tax lawyer, partner in a Christian counselling practice and her family's farm. |
Life before politics |
Beauty queen, sportscaster, partner in her family's fishing business. |
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Raised in a Democratic family, she became a Republican during her senior year at Winona State. She was reading Gore Vidal's 1973 novel Burr: "He was kind of mocking the Founding Fathers and I just thought, I just remember reading the book, putting it in my lap, looking out the window and thinking, 'You know what? I don't think I am a Democrat. I must be a Republican.' " |
How she got into politics |
"I studied journalism in college and always had an interest in the newsroom, which was of course so often focused on politics and government. … I had ingrained in me an interest in our government, how things worked. And then from there I just became more interested in more practical steps that I could take." |
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Ms. Bachmann once said she wanted Minnesotans "armed and dangerous on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back." She later clarified that she was speaking metaphorically, meaning "armed with knowledge." |
Gun quote |
"The crossfire is intense so penetrate through enemy territory by bombing through the press and use your strong weapons - your big guns - to drive to the hole. Shoot with accuracy, aim high and remember it takes blood, sweat and tears to win." |
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"I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence." |
Other gems |
"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where - where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border." |
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At a recent New Hampshire fundraiser, she said, "You're the state where the shot was heard around the world at Lexington and Concord." The Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 were fought in Massachusetts. |
Political gaffes |
During an interview with a Colorado TV station during the 2008 presidential campaign, Ms. Palin was asked by a third grader: "What does the vice-president do?" Ms. Palin gets it wrong, saying the vice-president is in charge of the Senate. |
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Batshit Bachmann |
Nickname |
"Sarah Barracuda" |
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Can't choose between Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. |
Musical tastes |
Loves hip-hop. |