“Bachmann has always seemed limited by the same qualities that make her irresistible to a certain kind of conservative. But on Monday night, she displayed a broader appeal. From her very first answer, which she used to declare her presidential candidacy, Bachmann sounded not only cogent but often convincing.

“Rather than coming across as a fringe figure, she looked as if she belonged on stage with the other candidates, outshining most of them and comporting herself in a way that seemed plausibly presidential. That’s been the challenge that most other Tea Party candidates have failed. Other heroes of the movement, from Sharron Angle to Christine O’Donnell to Rand Paul, have often frightened ordinary voters. But on Monday at least, Bachmann did not…

“[S]he has at least three big factors working for her: the deep dissatisfaction among conservative voters with the current presidential field; the palpable yearning for a candidate to emerge and challenge Mitt Romney, who remains unpopular in many quarters; and her own record as a prolific fundraiser with a distinct national profile — something her debate performance is certain to enhance. She has another thing going for her, too. She’s exactly the type of politician who ought to appeal to Iowa’s socially conservative Republican caucus-goers.”

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“Coming off of a strong showing — if not an outright victory — in Monday night’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary debate, Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann is trying to parlay that momentum into the beginnings of a grassroots New Hampshire campaign…

“Now that she has officially become a candidate, three more Granite State activists have joined her team and Chidester says more are on the way….

“‘It’s thrilling,’ Chidester said of the debate. ‘That was the Michele Bachmann I’ve known for five years and it was great to see.’

“He said she has the potential to run a successful campaign in New Hampshire.”

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“If there is any trend yet among Huck fans, though, it’s a gravitation toward Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann, whose brimstone-and-fire politics have made them sit up straight in their seats and pay attention. If she were to succeed in picking up a large bloc of the state’s religious right, a group that propelled Huckabee’s 2008 Iowa caucuses victory, it would be a major boost in her effort to win here and seize momentum for contests in later states…

“Bachmann, meanwhile, is considered a lightning bolt of a candidate who’s willing to speak her mind even if her beliefs are considered incendiary. Her law degree from Oral Roberts University, foster parenting, home schooling, anti-abortion activism and voting record prove to religious conservatives here that she’s one of them.

“As a woman on a stage full of male candidates, she particularly stands out, said Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University.

“‘In terms of rhetoric and charisma and enthusiasm,’ Goldford said, ‘she’s neon orange in a field of beige.'”

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“This column has no brief for Romney, but strictly as political analysis, we’d say a Romney-Bachmann ticket looks more formidable than the McCain-Palin ticket that lost in 2008. Romney, unlike McCain, has executive and private-sector experience. He’s in his mid-60s, old enough that his maturity makes for an attractive contrast with Barack Obama, but not so old that anyone will wonder if he’s up to the job…

“As for Bachmann, her biggest advantage over Sarah Palin may be that she is now running for president. That means that if Romney were to name her a year hence, she would be a far more familiar and media-savvy politician than Palin was in 2008. She would be much less vulnerable to both smears from the partisan media and unforced errors like Palin’s disastrous interview with Katie Couric, whoever that is. For those who care about such things, the presence of a woman on the ticket might serve as an excuse to vote against re-electing the first black president.

“To be sure, Bachmann is running for the presidential nomination, and while no one considers her the favorite, she’s surely a shorter shot than she was a few days ago. But a rival who is able to attract significant support in the primaries is likely to bring more to the ticket than one who isn’t. What did Joe Biden get Barack Obama other than comic relief?”

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“Does she have a shot at the nomination?

“Not a great shot but a real one. If Tim Pawlenty fails to catch fire, Jon Huntsman flames out and Rick Perry and Palin take a pass, Bachmann can win the Iowa caucuses and head into a one-on-one matchup with front runner Mitt Romney. She may also benefit from being the only woman in a testosterone-fueled field. Unlike previous insurgents who fell short (Pat Buchanan, Mike Huckabee), Bachmann is a formidable fundraiser who should be able to buy plenty of TV airtime to go with an energized ground game.”

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