Over the weekend, I was deathly ill with a high fever, and Michele Bachmann won the Iowa Straw Poll. We now essentially have a three person battle between Mitt Romney, Bachmann and Moral Arc favorite, Rick Perry. The post about a Mormon and two hardcore (my estimation at this point: Bachmann is for real and Perry is wielding it more as giant Jesus shaped flaming political sword) Christian fundamentalists as Republican front runners in 2011-2012 will have to wait. Instead, I think we must first wonder whether or not there is anything to really fear.
Call me a crazy, but I believe in the idea that a party's establishment still matters. Populism is much easier to smash apart into factions than people concerned about the status quo of their economic interests. Bachmann and Perry do not represent the Republican Party establishment. They do not translate very well (at this point at least until they renege on just about everything they've said) to a general election. I think, I hope, I pray, they scare progressives enough to stop licking their wounds and make something happen. As Teagan Goddard points out, the Wall Street Journal just published an article showing "just how dissatisfied the Republican establishment is with the current field." Let us see how strong the money makers are.
(Is anyone else as torn as I am between how they want this to play out? On one hand, having Bachmann win the Republican nomination would theoretically mean an almost sure defeat for her against Obama. On the other hand, who knows what crazy things can create a cut in the fabric of time and space where we wake up one day and Michele Bachmann is the leader of the free world. My God)
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