Wishful Thinking On the Hill

The Hill is a pretty good publication that often has interesting inside information on Washington goings-on, but as a DC publication it definitely treats the Democrats as the home team. Thus, this optimistic headline about Michele Bachmann’s re-election race: New poll shows Rep. Bachmann’s opponent may be within striking distance.
In a year in which we are constantly hearing about anti-incumbent fervor, the idea that a challenger “may be within striking distance” doesn’t sound like a news flash. And, in fact, what the poll shows is that Bachmann enjoys a nine-point lead over her well-funded Democratic opponent. There are a lot of Democratic incumbents (think Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid) who would be delighted to enjoy a nine-point margin.
The real story of the race in Minnesota’s Sixth District is Bachmann’s fundraising prowess. Her opponent, Tarryl Clark, raised a remarkable $900,000 in the second quarter, pulling in contributions from fat cats around the country who would love to defeat Bachmann. But Michele raised a phenomenal $1.7 million, an unprecedented amount here in Minnesota, from over 28,000 contributors, and is said to have $4 million on hand. This is one race where, for a change, the Democrat won’t enjoy a money edge, and Bachmann should win easily.