Goodbye Michele Bachmann, and good riddance

One of the best pieces of news I've heard since I started following the 2012 presidential race is that Michele Bachmann, the loudmouth, overambitious congresswoman from Minnesota, has dropped out of the race following a disappointing showing in the Iowa caucuses last week. Now, let me be very clear. I don't dislike Bachmann because she is a woman. And I have no problem with ambitious women. Heck, if Barack Obama hadn't been in the race four years ago, I would have been happy to vote for Hillary Clinton (if for no other reason than to get another Clinton in the White House and see how Bill would have performed as First Spouse). No, I didn't like Bachmann because I felt that she added nothing of substance to this race. And given the massive problems facing our nation and our world, this is hardly a time for candidates lacking substance.
The more I studied Bachmann, the less I saw to like. In every debate I've seen her in, she has struggled for the moderator's attention. And on the rare occasions when she was called on to answer a question, she struggled to do even that with any real clarity. I was left with the impression that she didn't have a real grasp on the issues. Worse, I was left with the impression that she was in this race to stroke her own ego, not to actually serve her country.
I guess I shouldn't really be surprised by her poor showing on the national stage. Bachmann is a relative newcomer to national politics, having only been in Congress for the past five years. And what has she accomplished during her time in Washington? Not much, unless you count helping to found the Tea Party Caucus and becoming its spokesperson. I can't think of a single bill that she has either co-sponsored or sponsored. And certainly nothing that she's passed. Again, it's all about ego with Bachmann.
The rise and swift fall of Bachmann is a great example of what's wrong with this nation's political system. Look at who we have left in the Republican field: Gingrich, Romney, Santorum, Perry, Paul and Huntsman. Of those, at least three can be written off as being in the race because they're addicted to the spotlight (Gingrich, Santorum and Perry). While Ron Paul actually makes sense on a number of issues and enjoys a solid base of support, his extreme positions make him virtually unelectable by a largely moderate electorate. And Jon Huntsman remains largely an enigma, since he has been largely absent in this race.
That leaves Romney as the only serious contender in the GOP field. And what kind of choice does that leave GOP voters really?
Our country is facing a series of very serious problems and a troubled future at best. And yet, the GOP field is littered with egomaniacs and people who don't stand a snowball's chance in Hades of ever seeing the White House. This is a time when we need serious candidates with real ideas and the ability to steer our country down the right path. In these troubled times, where have all the serious candidates gone?