Bachmann's fundraising: Lots of small donors, not so many bundlers

The three-term congresswoman, though, has struggled to gain the backing of the all important high-dollar bundlers who can tap financial networks for hundreds of thousands of dollars for a campaign.

The challenge in front of Mrs. Bachmann is clear: Can the tea party favorite translate the grass-roots support that helped her raise almost $14 million for her re-election last year into the kind of mainstream credibility necessary to attract the major fundraisers who are crucial to a serious White House run.

“Presidential campaigns are obviously phenomenally expensive, and you have to raise the money in relatively small chunks,” said Dirk Van Dongen, president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and a bundler who remains uncommitted in the race. “Even when you are talking about maximum contributions, $2,500 seems like a lot of money until you think of the hundreds of millions of dollars that these candidates need to raise, and bundlers are absolutely critical to that process for any serious candidate.”…

“She won’t be able to raise money from big donors because they don’t really like her,” said John Feehery, a Republican consultant.