Dan Rather Warns Chris Matthews: Bachmann Is For Real, This Is No ‘Palin Coming From Nowhere’

Chris Matthews assembled a panel including Dan Rather and Rachel Maddow to discuss whether Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann should enter the presidential race to scoop up Mike Huckabee‘s voters in Iowa. Surprisingly, Rather spoke very highly of Bachmann and called her “very articulate” and someone who could be “dynamite” in the race.

Rather also told Matthews that Bachmann has real “break-away potential” and could potentially go all the way:

“This woman is for real, whether you agree with her politics or not. This is not Sarah Palin coming out of nowhere.”

Raining on the “Bachmann is great” parade however was Maddow who was quick to remind the panel that until the Tea Party movement began, “[Bachmann] really was kind of a joke in politics.” Maddow suggested Bachmann’s appeal only comes from being able to rail against authority and predicted “there has to be an establishment candidate for her to be propelled against.” And since Matthews concluded Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty will likely be that establishment candidate, he seemed convinced that Bachmann could indeed be a real threat.

Watch the clip from The Chris Matthews Show below:

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