With her history of gaffes and divisive opinions, the Minnesota congresswoman was until Monday night treated as something of a joke by many in her own party.
Though former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney cemented his status as the early frontrunner, Mrs Bachmann left the debating hall in New Hampshire on Monday night with a considerable buzz trailing behind her.
She was the most sought after guest on yesterday's breakfast television shows, where some Washington pundits were already touting her as a potential vice-presidential nominee.
Mrs Bachmann, 55, has exploited the hesitation shown by Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice-presidential candidate, who has so far only flirted with an official run.
Sometimes called the "thinking man's" version of the former Alaska governor, Mrs Bachmann is a former tax lawyer for the federal government with a doctorate in tax law.
The two women appeal to the same conservative section of Republicangrassroots, but Mrs Bachmann's aides are touting her as the more serious.
"The question is if you have got Michele Bachmann why do you need Sarah Palin?" asked David Gergen, a CNN commentator and former aide to Ronald Reagan.
Will Cain, a conservative analyst, said: "I don't think Michele Bachmann has made people forget Sarah Palin yet, but I think she might very soon."
An evangelical Christian, Mrs Bachmann is firmly anti-abortion and has fostered 23 children, a fact she mentioned on at least three occasions during the debate at Saint Anselm's College.
The only female candidate among six men, she won several bursts of applause with pointed attacks on President Barack Obama. She came to prominence on the national stage as a feisty leader of congressional opposition to the president's healthcare reform.
"I want to announce tonight that President Obama is a one-term president," she said, adding: "President Obama has failed in leadership. Under his watch, in two and a half years, we've increased the federal debt 35 per cent just in that amount of time."
Her sure-footed performance showed the beneficial effects of being coached by Brett O'Donnell, a veteran consultant who also prepared Senator John McCain and former George W Bush for presidential debates.
He is one of several experienced hands hired by Mrs Bachmann as she prepares for the Republican primaries and caucuses, which will begin in Iowa next February.
Bob Heckman, a senior strategist for the congresswoman who worked for Mr McCain and the George Bush Sr, said her camp was convinced she could expand her appeal beyond the conservative base.
"We're very proud of her," he said after the debate. "She's an exciting new face in the race. Congresswoman Bachmann talked about the three-legged stool of fiscal conservative, social conservative, foreign policy conservative. But now we also have Tea party activists and libertarians, who are trending towards the Republican Party. She appeals to every one of those stripes."
However, doubts will remain about her tendency to make mistakes, while aides will be working hard to continue smoothing out her rougher edges.
She once called Mr Obama "anti-American", a view many Tea Partyers would agree with but one that alienates his supporters and many of the independent voters who typically decide the fate of the White House.
Despite her affection for the US Constitution and the legacy of the colonial uprising, she recently placed Lexington and Concord - the site of major battles with the British - in New Hampshire, rather than Massachusetts.
Though former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney cemented his status as the early frontrunner, Mrs Bachmann left the debating hall in New Hampshire on Monday night with a considerable buzz trailing behind her.
She was the most sought after guest on yesterday's breakfast television shows, where some Washington pundits were already touting her as a potential vice-presidential nominee.
Mrs Bachmann, 55, has exploited the hesitation shown by Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice-presidential candidate, who has so far only flirted with an official run.
Sometimes called the "thinking man's" version of the former Alaska governor, Mrs Bachmann is a former tax lawyer for the federal government with a doctorate in tax law.
The two women appeal to the same conservative section of Republicangrassroots, but Mrs Bachmann's aides are touting her as the more serious.
"The question is if you have got Michele Bachmann why do you need Sarah Palin?" asked David Gergen, a CNN commentator and former aide to Ronald Reagan.
Will Cain, a conservative analyst, said: "I don't think Michele Bachmann has made people forget Sarah Palin yet, but I think she might very soon."
An evangelical Christian, Mrs Bachmann is firmly anti-abortion and has fostered 23 children, a fact she mentioned on at least three occasions during the debate at Saint Anselm's College.
The only female candidate among six men, she won several bursts of applause with pointed attacks on President Barack Obama. She came to prominence on the national stage as a feisty leader of congressional opposition to the president's healthcare reform.
Her sure-footed performance showed the beneficial effects of being coached by Brett O'Donnell, a veteran consultant who also prepared Senator John McCain and former George W Bush for presidential debates.
He is one of several experienced hands hired by Mrs Bachmann as she prepares for the Republican primaries and caucuses, which will begin in Iowa next February.
Bob Heckman, a senior strategist for the congresswoman who worked for Mr McCain and the George Bush Sr, said her camp was convinced she could expand her appeal beyond the conservative base.
"We're very proud of her," he said after the debate. "She's an exciting new face in the race. Congresswoman Bachmann talked about the three-legged stool of fiscal conservative, social conservative, foreign policy conservative. But now we also have Tea party activists and libertarians, who are trending towards the Republican Party. She appeals to every one of those stripes."
However, doubts will remain about her tendency to make mistakes, while aides will be working hard to continue smoothing out her rougher edges.
She once called Mr Obama "anti-American", a view many Tea Partyers would agree with but one that alienates his supporters and many of the independent voters who typically decide the fate of the White House.
Despite her affection for the US Constitution and the legacy of the colonial uprising, she recently placed Lexington and Concord - the site of major battles with the British - in New Hampshire, rather than Massachusetts.