“She is not running as a Member of Congress.” Oh, is that so? When did she resign her “Membership in Congress”?
Obviously I didn't mean that literally. Sorry you took it that way.
What I meant was:
Bachmann's political calling card ("claim to fame," so to speak) really has very little to do with the fact that she's a congresscritter.
What brought her national attention, and turned her into a fundraising magnet, was her approach to the issues and her constant work to get her views out there through addressing rallies, appearances on talk radio and tv, and speeches.
Now, of course, she was invited to do those things because her congresscrittership gave her a platform from which to speak. But her profile is quite unlike any of the Members of Congress who have run in previous years (such as, say, Duncan Hunter). They really were known to very few people when they tried to make a run for President. Some of them thought appearing on Meet the Depressed or whatever gave them national spotlight. Wrong.
Bachmann is nationally known and is a national fundraiser. That support gravitated to her and she in turn worked hard to build it and grow it. Love her or hate her, she is a national figure now, well beyond mere Representative status.