Even if Michelle Bachmann were to somehow win Iowa, it would be unlikely that she could put together the financing or institutional support to be an effective challenger in the other 49 states.

But last night’s debate performance, like so many before it, showed that Mrs. Bachmann belongs on the national stage. Sure, she has made mistakes here and there.  And her ardent social positions are a put-off to some.  But the Minnesota congresswoman, who stepped into politics just five years ago, has gone toe-to-toe with the other seven Republican challengers in a dozen debates.  She has been the most consistently good debater among them, unblinkingly taking the fight to Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul last night, each of whom have been in national politics for decades. By my count, she won both exchanges.

Bachmann’s detractors – the ones who used to call her “batsh*t crazy” in blog posts – have waited for the meltdown that never came. Bachmann has been prepared, measured, and unflappable in every performance.

One can disagree with anything or everything that Mrs. Bachmann believes in, but I think it would be difficult to argue that she has  not earned national respect. Her debate composure alone make her a significant voice in American politics going forward.