It's been apparent for some time that Mitt Romney's status as presumptive GOP frontrunner has been built on two things: money, and name recognition acquired during his 2008 bid. It has also been apparent that it wouldn't take long for someone to emerge out of the also-rans and become a legitimate threat to his frontrunner status.
According to one GOP poll out of the Hawkeye State, that threat has already emerged. Feel the Bachmann-ia, Mitt.
Voter/Consumer Research (R) for the Iowa Republican website (6/26-6/30, Likely Iowa GOP Caucus goers, No trendlines):
Michele Bachmann: 25
Mitt Romney: 21
Herman Cain: 9
Tim Pawlenty: 9
Ron Paul: 6
Newt Gingrich: 4
Rick Santorum: 2
Jon Huntsman: 1
Though the trial heat margin between Bachmann and Romney was rather modest, there was a much more substantial gap in favorabilities. Bachmann has crazy good numbers among the GOP faithful (76/11), while Romney's are considerably more modest (66/25). What's more, Bachmann's splashy entrance (and the resulting media attention) has pulled her close to even on name recognition among the likely caucus goers that V/C Research surveyed.
Bachmann's newfound status as a co-front runner is apparent in other ways, as well. This weekend, while a guest on Meet the Press, fellow Minnesota politico and 2012 GOP hopeful Tim Pawlenty ripped Bachmann, declaring that "her record of accomplishment in Congress is non-existent." It is a line of attack that Pawlenty is apparently building his sagging campaign around, with a new tagline on web ads boldly promising "results, not rhetoric."
But with Bachmann surging, and no other legitimate candidates on the horizon (and no, Sarah Palin's latest overpublicized "Look at me!" moment does not count), Pawlenty is going to need more than a snappy tagline to get into the first tier. His fellow Minnesotan has clearly stolen his thunder. What remains to be seen is whether she will emerge as a co-leader of the pack with Mitt Romney, or seize frontrunner status all to herself.