The straw poll is the most prominent event in the campaign before the Iowa caucuses in February; Mrs Bachmann now has five full months to raise money off the back of her success.
For all the buzz of CPAC, however, the straw poll has never been a reliable guide to ultimate success.
A mere six weeks ago Mrs Bachmann was basking in her own victory in the Ames straw poll in Iowa, only to be eclipsed as soon as Mr Perry made his late eruption into the race.
She was born 100 miles up the road—as she endlessly reminded locals in advance of the Republican Party’s “straw poll” in Ames, Iowa on Saturday.
