Missteps and Misquotes on the Republican Campaign Trail
The campaign trail's full of obstacles, some self-inflicted.
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Michele Bachmann - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann has made a few gaffes on the campaign trail, from wishing Elvis Presley “Happy Birthday” on the anniversary of his death to signing a pledge that said African-American families fared better during slavery.(Photo: AP Photo/ Mary Ann Chastain)
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Herman Cain - It’s one of the oldest stories in the book. Just as he was beginning to resonate with Republican voters, former presidential candidate Herman Cain was knocked off of the campaign trail due to allegations of improper behavior with women outside of his marriage. How cliché!(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Newt Gingrich - T: The start of former House speaker Newt Gingrich’s campaign was rife with missteps, most notably a mutiny of his top campaign aides that took place during an ill-advised luxury cruise to the Greek Islands with his wife. Most recently, he’s given several different explanations for the more than $1 million he was paid by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that played a role in the foreclosure crisis. Gingrich says it was for his advice as a “historian,” but to others it was lobbying by another name.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Rick Perry - Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s rise to the top of the GOP nominating race was almost as meteoric as his fall. Now, days before the key Iowa caucuses, the Texas lawmaker is scrambling to help voters forget his poor debate performances, including the “Oops” heard ‘round the world when he forgot the name of one of the three federal agencies he would eliminate, and other brain freezes. (Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images)
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Mitt Romney - Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has run the most disciplined campaign of the potential candidates but still struggles to connect with voters. Is that any wonder, when he says things like, “Corporations are people, too”? Offering rival Rick Perry a $10,000 wager didn’t help endear him to voters, either.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Ron Paul - Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) (C) speaks as former Massachusetts Texas Rep. Ron Paul was one of four candidates found to have their campaign T-shirts made overseas. "I wasn't aware of it ... but I wouldn't change it," said an unapologetic Paul.(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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