Deep Sixed?

With Congresswoman Michele Bachmann declaring that she will run for President, suddenly a relatively safe Congressional seat for the Minnesota GOP may be up in the air (By the way, I have been unable to confirm the rumor that Bachmann's DFL opponent in 2010 made a sudden U-Turn while traveling on I-35 Northbound).

My initial thoughts regarding Bachmann's future was that by Super Tuesday she may well be so far behind that she, along with the majority of the remaining candidates, would abandon her bid for the Republican nomination. With that in mind, she would still have nine months to campaign for her Congressional seat if indeed she decides to return to the U.S. House.

Yesterday afternoon I was reminded by my pal Brian "St Paul" Ward that the main attack on Bachmann in 2010 was how little time she spent in her home Congressional District. However, that vapid screed gained little traction as Bachmann easily won a third term in the House by garnering the highest percentage of votes (53%) in any of three House races she's participated. Of course, Bachmann's win was due in large part to 2010 being a highly favorable year for Republicans as well as facing a political empty suit in "Taxing" Tarryl Clark.

But in 2012, the "lack of time in the home district" could rear its ugly head once more. And this time, that phrase may have some teeth. With about seven months until the Iowa Caucuses, it's more than likely that Bachmann will spend minimal time in her home district due to her campaigning for a good portion of what's left in 2011. It's also a pretty safe bet that if Bachmann does re-enter the race for CD6 after a failed Presidential bid, her DFL opponent will enact the old "see, we told you so" rebuttal regarding the Congresswoman making herself scarce.

While I have nothing but the utmost respect for Rep. Michele Bachmann, I find that she rarely handles these situations smoothly. When she commits the occasional gaffe, it seems that her opponents as well as the mainstream media controls the narrative regarding the context of her statements. Instead of fighting back or even clarifying her remarks, she all too often puts out urgent statements of how she's being attacked and thus needs financial support immediately to combat said negative attacks. But while she may not be the most skilled politician, there are few others I'd rather have speaking on my behalf when it comes to critical legislative issues.

Ultimate prediction: After falling short of the GOP nomination for President, Bachmann will take two years off and then make a run for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Al Franken.

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