A Star is Torn

National Democrats join their Minnesota counterparts to go into Bachmann Turner Overdrive.

For better or worse, this has been Michele Bachmann’s summer.  Having narrowly survived her own “Macaca” moment last fall, Minnesota’s Sixth District Congresswoman has seen her name bandied about for Governor, her re-election race attract massive attention among the punditry and one of the DFL’s rising stars, and now become – according to Politico – the national Democratic Party’s “public enemy No. 1″:

“She is so principally and diametrically opposed to the core principles that we have,” Donald McFarland, a Minnesota-based Democratic strategist, said of Bachmann. “She is further to the right than Attila the Hun.”

“She’s the poster girl for the radical fringe element,” added Brian Smoot, who served as political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last campaign cycle…

The DCCC and the Minnesota DFL denied to POLITICO this week that they were working behind the scenes to clear the field for Clark, but strategists for both parties say there is little question the national Democratic Party will take an active role in the 2010 effort to oust Bachmann.

And Bachmann probably loves it.

For a woman that has been a walking political controversy since defeating incumbent GOP St. Sen. Gary Laidig for endorsement in 2000, Michele Bachmann seems to be constantly testing whether or not one can get sunburned from bathing too long in the political limelight.  The most high-profile Congressional representative the state has had since Vin Weber, Bachmann seems to match Weber’s nationally respected intellectual gravtias with philosophical infamy.  The juxtaposition is more than a little strange.  While Weber did as much as any Congressman to lay the groundwork for the 1994 “Republican Revolution”, the six-term rep generated little ire across the aisle.  By contrast, a two-term backbencher for the minority has supposedly earned the distinction of being the Democratic Party’s most villified opponent.

All which begs the question of who is making the bigger mistake – Bachmann or the DNC?

While targeting an actual office-holder is a far better strategy for Democrats than continuing to insist, as Harry Reid did just days ago, that the GOP is “run by a talk show host”, giving increased national prominance to an outspoken member of the minority who holds no ranking positions in the House seems a pretty thinly veiled attempt to distract voters and reporters from the Pelosi/Reid/Obama nexus’ inability to pass certain legislation.  Much like the furor over the supposed size and influence of “the birthers” movement who question Barack Obama’s citizenship, Democrats hope to gain wary independents and rally their increasingly demoralized base by turning an ultra minority into the representation of the GOP’s majority.  Such a tactic cannot hide a struggling economy but between a supportive media and actions like death threats against Congressmen, can successfully change the subject…for a while.

Despite the passion of her supporters leading Bachmann to outraise some of the other members of the State’s House delegation in their own districts, Bachmann’s shoot-from-the-lip style still has made her a bigger lightning rod than Lee Travino.  But to what end?  Bachmann’s style often overrides her substance and despite being one of the most media-sought after members of the House, Bachmann’s issues have largely languished.  And despite representing the District with the highest Republican advantage CPVI at +7, Bachmann’s high-water mark remains 49%, helping reinforce Democratic daydreams of winning the seat.  Thus Bachmann’s love-hate relationship with the media may be driving up her name ID outside of her district, but at the same time driving up her statewide negatives – limiting her chances for advancement in the future. 

So what should any of this matter?  In her own district, as Smart Politics even demonstrated this winter, Bachmann likely has a solid hold of her seat regardless of what the DCCC or others attempt.  National Republicans might even be thankful to see Democrats waste millions in a uphill climb for 2010, leaving fewer funds for vulernable House Dems elsewhere.  But in a State where the GOP has been shrunk and is needing potential statewide leaders, having the most prominent member of the House GOP delegation (and an oft-rumored 2012 U.S. Senate candidate) be distrusted by independent and moderate voters is hardly the recipe for success.  The same would be true if Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison continued to push hard for charges to be brought against former Bush administration officials while appearing weekly on the cable TV circuit.

But neither Bachmann nor the DNC seem likely to change their current tactics.  Meaning whether you think either side’s strategy has any merit or not, you ain’t seen nothing yet.