Bachmann Launches Campaign

The 2012 presidential field expanded today when Representative Michele Bachmann announced her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. The Minnesota congresswoman made her run official from her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Politico has covered this story from various angles and multimedia, with some issues.

Screenshot of Politico lead, "Bachmann: We will win in 2012." Approximately 5 p.m.

• The lead of Bachmann’s announcement is accompanied by a half dozen articles, including a story about from a weekend poll in Iowa that puts Bachmann in a dead heat with Mitt Romney, as well her emphasis on her roots in Iowa.
• The main article also features a five-minute video of the speech and the White House’s lack of response to it. There is also a slideshow of Bachmann throughout the years, as far back as 2003. However, there is no link to 14 photos as the slideshow is embedded into the site – only individual images can be accessed.
• In another glitch, there is a clip labeled “W.H. on run: no reaction” that instead plays, “Carney: budget deal still possible ‘this year.'” The question related to Bachmann’s candidacy can only be found on the main multimedia page.
• There is also video and several articles on Bachmann’s appearance on “Fox News Sunday”, where Chris Wallace asked if the congresswoman was a “flake” and her deflection to accept Wallace’s apology. There is additional coverage on Bachmann saying that John Wayne is from Waterloo, when he was actually born in Winterset, Iowa – though his parents did have a home in Waterloo.
  

  File photo of Snowden House in Waterloo, where Bachmann made her announcement. | Photo courtesy WikiCommons user RifeIdeas

   

• Perhaps in response to her recovery from her Fox News apperance and other gaffes, Arena posed the question: “Michele Bachmann: most improved candidate?”
• As with all other candidates, 2012 has a full profile on Bachmann, where information and latest updates can be found.

Politico provides plenty of content, but Politico let some multimedia glitches go in their rush to publish the coverage. You could even call it flaky.