Bachmann also poses a real threat to the future of the caucuses: A victory for her in Iowa would cement the impression that the state is reserved for tea party activists and hard-core social conservatives, and make it easier for establishment types to take a pass in 2016
Unless Bachmann wins Iowa and then wins the nomination, right? Is that happens, then skipping Iowa will be seen as a disastrous mistake, one that allows competitors to win a heavily-covered event and use the momentum to gain an advantage in subsequent primaries. It seems to me that the media is still not internalizing the prospect that Bachmann could actually win the nomination.