Bachmann ranks 4th in Iowa Indy’s power rankings

In the 14th edition of the Iowa Independent’s Power Rankings, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann has fallen to fourth place in the estimation of Iowa watchers of the GOP presidential race, behind Rick Perry, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney.

The Iowa Independent relies on academics, consultants, activists and political reporters to put together their Iowa Power Rankings.

The rankings noted that Bachmann’s campaign has continued its “downward spiral,” but that Bachmann is hanging on due to her smart Iowa organization.

Here’s how one Iowa expert put it: “Here we are, only a few weeks removed from a truly impressive performance in Ames, and it is all but forgotten. Michele Bachmann was always going to push against those who want ‘electability’ in their final choice, but now she seems to be pushing against everything and everyone else too. I don’t see a current scenario where she places better than third. … I’ll also predict that if her staff and volunteers don’t do something fairly quick, she’s going to land behind former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum on caucus night. Yes, it has gotten that bad for her.”

Bachmann had previously been ranked as the candidate to beat, with many predicting that she’d continue to gather support throughout the fall and winter. Their views have changed, with none of the experts interviewed ranking her in the top spot.

All isn’t lost for Bachmann, according to one ranker: “[T]urnout on caucus night is critical and she will have more staff and volunteers making turnout calls than Romney’s people will. Bachmann has started to argue that caucus-goers need not ‘settle,’ meaning that they need not select a moderate candidate because the media believes that person has a better chance against Obama. This is basically a swipe at Romney, but it’s also a way for her to argue that she’s not too conservative. If this argument doesn’t resonate or she continues to fade, then we might see her supporters begin to look elsewhere, such as Cain or Santorum.”

The people interviewed still saw Perry as the frontrunner, although noting that he was slipping. He’s followed in the rankings by Paul, who is seen as the only candidate who’s rallying his base. Mitt Romney is listed third, with Herman Cain showing some buzz in 5th place.