Michele Bachmann Signs Books at West Des Moines Christian Bookstore

Guess shaking hands and kissing babies just isn't enough to get elected anymore. To really make it, you have to write a book.

Michele Bachmann joins an already crowded field of presidential hopefuls-turned-authors who have penned a book in the last couple years with her latest release, "Core of Conviction: My Story."

Bachmann was in West Des Moines Saturday night at the where a quiet crowd of supporters eagerly stood in line to get their books autographed by the Minnesota congresswoman.

Dressed in a crisp black suit jacket and skirt, Bachmann laid on her trademark cheerleader charm just as soon as she entered the store. Only thing missing were her pom-poms.

"Today what I'm doing is launching my brand new book. It's called, 'Core of Conviction,' and it’s my personal story and it really is based in Iowa," she said. "This is where I was born, it’s where I grew up and I’m so grateful for the values that I learned here. ... Everything I needed to know I learned in Iowa. I think these core convictions ... are really what we need in the White House."

The book, released Nov. 21, summarizes Bachmann’s life from her early days in Waterloo, where she was born, to her quest for the GOP presidential nomination. Along the way, it discusses her faith, family and how her interest in politics stemmed from her days as an advocate for education reform in Minnesota.

Bryan Wynveen zipped over to the western suburbs from his home in Ankeny just in time to snag the first spot in line. Still undecided, Wynveen was eager to meet Bachmann, his first brush with presidential celebrity.

"I just bought her book today," he said. "I'm still exploring different candidates and I heard about this a couple weeks ago and thought it would be a great event to come to."

The line that snaked back past the greeting cards and well into the children's section seemed to comprise a nice cross-section of folks anxious to get a few minutes with the woman who could be the country's next president (though that seems highly unlikely according to the latest RealClearPolitics.com poll which shows Bachmann holding down third to last place ahead of only Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman.)

Neither the fledgling numbers, nor the wait, seemed to faze Bachmann campaign intern and college freshman Becky Howe of Ankeny. She and her grandmother, Vicki Perkins of Johnston, firmly agreed that Bachmann was their one-and-only in the Jan. 3 Iowa Caucus.

"I love her concern for Israel and her stand on national defense and border security," said Howe. "Her commitment to life is also very important to me. I just love everything about her."

Perkins was quick to point out that this will be Howe's first time voting. She's just 18 years old.

"Her biblical beliefs encompass everything that I believe in and that my family believes in," said Perkins of Bachmann. "We're behind her 100 percent. We will back her all the way."

Mike Main of Kansas City, Mo., just happened to be in town for the holidays so he jumped at the chance to meet Bachmann on Saturday. While still on the fence in terms of who would win his vote, Main said Bachmann is a very strong contender.

"One thing I admire about her is that she has very solid core principles and she sticks to those and doesn’t deviate," he said. "I agree with her on all of the issues, to be honest."

While the issues were important to many of the people at Family Christian Store Saturday night, that didn't seem to be the most important item on the agenda. Aside from a few words on her stance on immigration at the top of the hour, the rest of the night seemed a little light on content.

Let's hope her book, that retails for $26.95 at Family Christian Store, is not.

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Michele Bachmann's "Core of Conviction: My Story" Book Tour will continue tomorrow with stops in the following cities:

Sunday

Noon - Sioux City - Barnes & Noble, 4400 Sergeant Road

4 p.m. - Council Bluffs - Holiday Inn, 2202 River Road