IowaPolitics.com: Bachmann practices retail politics at Ames tailgate

By Hannah Hess
IowaPolitics.com

She danced with babies, flipped burgers for hungry tailgaters and hugged fans here Saturday morning, but Minnesota U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann insisted the glad-handing was not a Hail Mary for her campaign.

“We’ve been in Iowa 70 days and I think what we’ve been known for is our time with people and talking to people and so that’s why we’re here today with people again,” Bachmann told reporters after 50 minutes of mingling amongst the recreational vehicles, “and we’re here for football.”

 After shake-ups among her top staff, slipping poll numbers and an overshadowed performance in the most recent debate, political observers recently began to predict Bachmann’s campaign was headed for the political graveyard. Then, U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, a top Iowa conservative, publicly advised the congresswoman to “just dive right into the mosh pit, and go out there and campaign and be yourself,” to regain momentum in the state. 

But the trip to Jack Trice Stadium, where Bachmann rubbed shoulders with a rowdy crowd of beer-toting tailgaters was not a direct response to King's suggestion, said campaign press secretary Alice Stewart. 

"She's always been out meeting the people. That's what she does best. She's the best retail politician in this entire race. She loves talking to people. Every event she goes to, she shakes every single hand in the place,” Stewart said when asked by IowaPolitics.com if Bachmann was attempting to shift strategies. 

The congresswoman’s last tailgate with Iowans occurred Aug. 12, outside the Hilton Coliseum in Ames on the eve of the straw poll. When she jumped into the race in June, she hovered atop state and national polls. She rode the energy to a victory in Ames, collecting 4,823 of the 16,892 votes cast. But the victory surge was short-circuited when Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced his candidacy, stalling her momentum and infringing upon her tea party base. He stole the show when he debuted his candidacy to Iowans in Waterloo—kissing cheeks and high-fiving toddlers. 

On Saturday, Bachmann autographed footballs and nuzzled babies’ cheeks amidst an estimated 80,000 sports fans who turned out to watch the rivals compete. She sported a custom-made jersey, No. 12, that incorporated the logos of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State University Cyclones and boasted to fans of both stripes that it was an “I-love-everybody” look. 

She spun in circles, swarmed by a throng of reporters and some supporting state senators, smiling for the cameras of fans seeking a photo opportunity. But one observer, trailing the crowd through a rows of smoking grills and festive tents, said she needed more effort and more interaction with Iowans if she hoped to win the caucuses this winter. 

“She’s pretty huddled and still keeping up a shield,” said Zachary Westhoff, 25, a student at Iowa State University. “If she knocks Perry out, this is her race to win." 

An Iowa poll released this week showed her trailing Perry by double digits. A Rasmussen Results survey of 862 Republican likely caucus-goers conducted Aug. 31 showed Perry’s support at 29 percent, compared with 18 percent for Bachmann and 17 percent for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percent. Additionally, Perry had the support of 45 percent of voters who associate themselves with the tea party movement in the Rasmussen poll. 

 Westhoff’s advice for overcoming the gap: “She needs to be out here talking to people, and she needs to go after Perry for not being electable. You do that, and you will beat (President Barack) Obama.” 

Polls haven’t been the only setback for Bachmann this week. On Monday, news surfaced that two members of her senior campaign staff would be departing.

Campaign Manager Ed Rollins stepped down from day-to-day operations into an advisory role, and his deputy David Polansky left the campaign.   

Politico broke the news, saying the staff shake-up raised “fresh questions about her durability.” The campaign's statement that followed characterized the shift as a "planned restructuring," with the 68-year-old Rollins leaving for health reasons. During the GOP debate on Wednesday in California, Bachmann had a hard time breaking through with her message, as rivals Perry and Romney dominated the attention. 

On Saturday, she resisted being cast as a second-tier candidate. 

“What we’re seeing on the ground is that there’s only one candidate that’s won anything in this race, and it’s me,” Bachmann said. “I was fortunate enough to win the straw poll here in Iowa. My goal is to take the voice, the common sense voice of people from Iowa all the way to the White House. I just can’t wait to do that.” 

When asked about the current popularity of Romney and Perry, Bachmann supporters have pointed back to the 2008 campaign for the Republican nomination as proof of her competitiveness. State Sen. Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, a former Cyclones wide receiver who flew a red and gold Bachmann blimp Saturday from his recreational vehicle, cited the contest. Similar to Perry, former Tennessee U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson entered the race late — post-Labor Day in 2007 — as a front-runner with high marks in the polls. And, like Romney, former New York Gov. Rudy Giuliani led most national polls for much of 2007. Both eventually withdrew from the race and Arizona U.S. Sen. John McCain won the nomination.

Stewart said Bachmann will be spending plenty of time in Iowa in coming weeks.