Bachmann Has Money, Name; Can She Avoid Being Labeled a Nut?

COMMENTARY | Michele Bachmann for president? This is the hope of the Republican representative from Minnesota -- if she can persuade the voters and the GOP to give her the nomination. The candidate's biography and her political connections present the electorate and party with a choice that is anything but clear-cut.

Take, for example, her ability to find funding. Terming it "fundraising prowess," the Washington Post has to grudgingly admire her ability to raise $13.5 million during the election cycle spanning 2009 to 2010. In spite of then-spotty name recognition, she quickly showed that she could outspend even the more well-known competitors.

Compare this to John Boehner's $9.8 million, and it is clear that Bachmann finds deep pockets easily -- recession or not.

Even more impressive is the fact that she managed to get this much money primarily from small donors -- the $200 and under crowd -- which bodes well for a strong grassroots effort. While any Republican candidate for highest office -- once nominated -- can count on the corporate donor, it is the high number of contributing voters who make her an attractive choice for rallying the base.

Note also her founding of the Tea Party Caucus. Due to the somewhat uneasy alliance between the Republicans and the Tea Party, she is the perfect middle of the road candidate, with one foot firmly in one camp and the other foot in the other.

Name recognition is another strong advantage for this would-be candidate. Gallup shows that Bachmann has a 62 percent margin of name recognition, which places her behind Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin (who is not running yet). She ranks third in positive intensity with 18 percent, which places her just barely behind Romney's 19 percent.

While these advantages might have some in the GOP waving the "Michele Bachmann for President 2012" signs, this mirth is premature.

The very Gallup poll that shows her as a viable candidate also reveals her to be a permanent second fiddle to Romney, who is positioning himself ahead in "strongly favorable" as well as "favorable" ratings. She beats him among voters who view Romney with an attitude that is "strongly unfavorable," which is not exactly the hallmark of a strong GOP candidate. Just by looking at the numbers, Bachmann is not the clear choice among pollsters or the Republicans they interview.

While Romney must contend with "Romney-care" and Newt Gingrich will forever carry "Cap and Trade" legislation with him, Bachmann has opined on Social Security and Medicare, which is not making many friends among voters. Think Progress explains that -- in 2010 -- Rep. Bachmann told a friendly crowd how anyone already in the system would remain there, but everyone else had to be weaned off.

It matters little if this approach makes dollars and therefore sense; it is so unpopular among Republicans and Democrats alike that the GOP will tread lightly to go against President Barack Obama with a conservative who cannot get the moderates, independents and seniors behind her.

Of course, the biggest problem she has is the very aspect that endears her to a small but loyal fringe: her view on the one-world government, according to Politico.

"Clearly this is a very bad direction because when you join the economic policy of different nations, it is one short step to joining political unity and then you would have literally, a one world government," Bachmann said. This is the type of buzzword a candidate must steer clear of, unless she or he will be considered as a bit of a conspiracy theorist (read: nut).

Clearly, it is too late for her to avoid this label.