Fox News reports that “health reasons” are forcing the departure of longtime Republican strategist and campaigner Ed Rollins from the Michele Bachmann campaign.  Rollins suffered a stroke a year and a half ago.  But then why is Rollins’ right hand man, David Polyansky,  ALSO leaving the campaign?  Seems odd.  Michele Bachmann has turned out strong debate performances in each of the presidential debates.  She has been a fierce campaigner.   Even so, Rollins himself stated today that Rick Perry’s entrance into the 2012 race has crippled Bachmann’s effort in the past two weeks:

“Speaking to CNN, where he was a contributor before the Bachmann campaign, the 68-year-old Rollins said the front-runners were now former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He said Perry’s late entry into the race slowed Bachmann’s buzz and fundraising.  I think legitimately it’s a Romney-Perry race,” he said.    “I think she’s the third candidate at this point in time — which is way different and better than we’d thought when we started this thing — and she’s very much in this thing.”

In the past two weeks, off the cuff remarks on the campaign trail have made Bachmann an easy target for the media.   Bachmann’s quick and pointed comebacks to media questions have made her both popular with supporters and Fox News shows, but also criticized for sometimes being too quick on the draw.   After winning the Iowa Straw poll,  Bachmann should have picked up momentum.  Rick Perry has instead, stolen the limelight the past two weeks.

The battle for the Tea Party favorite is working well for Romney.  Perry, Cain, Santorum and Gingrich are two splitting the vote and the attention of the media.

Ed Rollins team advised Mike Huckabee’s team in ’08, Ross Perot, and others.

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Filed under: Economy, Featured, Inside The KC, Politics, Sonja Eddings Brown by Sonja Eddings Brown, Sep 6, 2011