Quist Will Take Bachmann’s 50% out for a Test Drive

It was reported recently that Michelle Bachmann has a 50% approval rating statewide across Minnesota. Many were somewhat surprised that she is that popular in Minnesota outside her Congressional district.  Allen Quist’s plan to challenge Tim Walz in the First Congressional District, which stretches across the length of Southern Minnesota will put that popularity to the test.  Quist has strong ties, both actual and philosophical, to Michelle Bachmann – Quist’s wife Julie is employed by Bachmann as her District Director and he embraces the same Tea-Party principles as Bachmann.

Quist has gotten a fair amount of attention on his plans to run – he is a well known figure in Minnesota Politics having managed to garner the party endorsement for governor against then-incumbent governor Arnie Carlson (Quist lost heavily in the pimary, though).  Momentum-wise, he seems to be off to a slow start – with, reportedly, no members of the media attending his Rochester press conference and, even more significantly, no GOP party leaders or elected officials standing by his side during the event.

His campaign will attempt to capitalize on public concern/tea-party anger over three issues that will be his priorities - opposition to health care reform, opposition to cap and trade (reduction of greenhouse gases), and opposition to the federal economic stimulus plan.

My view is that Quist is probably too conservative for the 1st District.  Walz fits the district well with his military background, popularity as a teacher/football coach, confidence, and energetic campaigning.  He perhaps leans a little to the left of the district as a whole, but I think it would take an equally moderate, but right leaning Republican to have  a chance of unseating him.

Quist will energize the DFL in the first district, and scare off many moderates.  The DFL will be more than happy to tie him to Bachmann and remind voters of some of his previous gems . . .  such as his assertion that men are genetically predisposed to be head of household, his opinion that the highly regarded International Baccalaureate high school program (embraced by George W. Bush among others) is  Communist/Marxist, and his unyielding viewpoints on creationism and abortion.

It will be interesting to see if Quist will manage the republican nomination (given the lack of early enthusiasm) or whether the party will embrace a more moderate candidate.