The True Believer

Can Michele Bachmann's faith and fervor carry her past Iowa?

Danny Wilcox Frazier for TIME

GOP Headache? Bachmann edged ahead in polls, but some wonder if she can she handle a national campaign?

Becky Magee is one of Michele Bachmann's biggest fans. "I love her," the bubbly 50-ish woman exclaimed minutes after Bachmann electrified a crowd in Aiken, S.C., on July 19. Speaking to about 150 people in an alley off the town's main square, Bachmann had vowed to repeal the "abomination" of Obamacare and to slash federal spending and regulations, which she likened to "tying cement blocks onto the job creators in this country." As usual, the petite Minnesota Congresswoman delivered a fireworks display of colorful metaphors. "They're now experiencing morbid obesity in Washington," she said. "They're gonna go on a diet!"

Magee...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!