MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rep. Michele Bachmann enjoyed a day of lucrative fundraising, national media exposure and glowing analysis of her newfound momentum on Tuesday, following a strong performance in her first presidential debate.
She also forced her competitors to assess how she might affect their own paths to the Republican nomination.
“She did a great job of weaving in her experiences as a foster mother, a congresswoman and an attorney,” said GOP strategist Ron Bonjean, who is not affiliated with any contender. “The other candidates are now forced to personalize their stories more. I think this is just surprising — how well she did — and that was really noticed.”
Since she first floated the idea of running for president, Bachmann has been lumped in with some of the more fringe characters in the contest, in part the result of her short time on the national stage and her uncompromising views.
By turning in a confident and savvy performance, the Minnesotan at least temporarily carved a spot as a serious candidate — one whose presence will almost certainly affect the race no matter how far she goes.
The most immediate effect Bachmann will have is in Iowa, where she was born and where she could hold particular appeal among the social conservatives who dominate the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
A viable Bachmann campaign would be a particular threat to former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, who has pinned his hopes on winning in Iowa to establish himself as the leading alternative to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the front-runner, who is focusing on New Hampshire.
Pawlenty demurred when asked in a TV interview at a campaign stop Tuesday to comment on Bachmann’s entrance into the race, and Romney, saying only, “I thought she did a very nice job.”
If she is able to build on her momentum, her influence could widen considerably. Hugely popular with the tea party movement, Bachmann could siphon conservative votes from other GOP contenders. Her no-compromise positions on such issues as the nation’s debt ceiling (she doesn’t want it raised) could force the rest of the field to follow suit. She could rally women to action, and her cachet as an energetic, straight-talking conservative could make it more difficult for former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to find a path into the field.
“I look forward to bringing the voice of the common sense of the American people that I’ve brought to the halls of Congress, to the tea party, now to the White House, where it’s been missing for far too long,” Bachmann said Tuesday on CBS’s “Early Show,” one of numerous TV interviews she gave.
Her candidacy “keeps the tea party voters engaged,” said Leslie Sanchez, a GOP strategist and the author of “You’ve Come a Long Way, Maybe,” a book about women in politics. “Especially early in the primary, they know that they have the voice and someone who’s challenging the status quo.”
But Bachmann also faces a challenge as she looks to broaden support beyond tea partyers, who embrace her because of the inflammatory rhetoric and unflinchingly conservative stances that have made her a controversial figure to others, including some within the GOP.
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