Bachmann: S.C. Essential to Victory

MOUNT PLEASANT - Making her second trip to the Palmetto State since declaring her candidacy for president Rep. Michelle Bachmann told a crowd of about 200 supporters at Patriots Point that winning South Carolina is essential to winning the presidency.

With a refrain of "It's time to go" aimed at the occupant of the White House, Bachmann hit Pres. Barack Obama on the recent debt ceiling debate, unemployment, government spending and various other sore points conservatives have with the current administration.

Calling herself a "peace through strength conservative," Bachmann said she would not close the prison at Guantanamo Bay because the United States needs a place to carry out interrogations to capture people like Osama Bin Laden.

Bachmann said she is seeking to consolidate the conservative base of national defense conservatives, fiscal conservatives, social conservatives and the Tea Party movement into an unstoppable force in 2012.

Her message seemed to resonate with the largely supportive crowd gathered to hear Bachmann, though two protesters did show up.

"Right now we're standing on the precipice of the Constitution," Monks Corner resident Joan Peters said following Bachmann's speech. "We either stand by it or step over it."

Peter's said she has not made up her mind on a candidate yet, but that Bachmann is in her top three along with Herman Cain and former Sen. Rick Santorum.

"We actually get to talk to her when she comes through," Peters said. "Each time I talk to her she goes up in my estimation."

John's Island resident K.C. Lombard is a big Bachmann fan, he had the candidate sign both sleeves of the T-shirt he wore to the speech Friday, but he said he isn't totally sold on any candidate yet.

"I'm looking for consistency in conservative values and leadership skills," Lombard said. "And I'm finding them all with Michelle, nobody else resonates with me at this point."

"Across the board she pretty well represents my values," he added. "She's willing to work with the other side, but she's not going to compromise her values. We [Republicans and Democrats] have two very different perspectives on what the role of government should be."

Lots of undecided voters attended Bachmann's rally. North Charleston resident Tim Harrelson said he liked much of what Bachmann had to say, but he did disagree with her on one point.

"I lean a little libertarian," Harrelson said. "So I don't believe in the wars we're involved in now."

He said his choices were between Bachmann and Rep. Ron Paul at this point. 

"What matters to me is a candidate that will actually do and believe in what they say, not just give it lip service," Harrelson said.

Bachmann has anti-establishment qualities Libertarians like Franz Meier of Mount Pleasant can appreciate.

“If I had my way, I’d like to see Ron Paul win, but if he’s not a viable candidate, I’ll vote for Bachmann,” Meier said. “She is well-spoken, very knowledgeable. She sees Washington for what it is.”

Bachmann appeals to Americans who are frustrated with politics. Though she’s been in Congress since 2007, she still carries an outside-the-beltway image, said Rodney Travis of North Charleston.

“Americans just feel like punching bags,” Travis said. “That’s the void Michele fills. She speaks to people who feeling the government doesn’t listen.”

Though known to make gaffes fairly regularly, Bachmann's Mount Pleasant speech was free of missteps Friday.

"I think she presented herself well," Mount Pleasant resident Anthony Herlihy said. "The jury's still out though."

Herlihy considers himself a member of all the groups Bachmann said she is courting, a Tea Party supporter, fiscal, social and national defense conservative, but he's not ready to support any of the GOP field of candidates yet.

"I'm still waiting on specific details on downsizing the federal government," he said.

Bachmann is gaining ground with Herlihy though. He said he heard Bachmann on the radio earlier Friday calling for abolishing the Federal Department of Education, something he would support. But he said he'd like to see Bachmann push those positions more heavily on a national stage.

"We don't need the Department of Education," he said. "There's no reason the states can't do it."

Bachmann's event drew in people from all over the area and even a few from father away. Angelo Santiago, on a visit from Florida, attended the rally and found Bachmann inspiring.

But he too said he had not made up his mind yet.

"I'll listen to them all," Santiago said. "Then I'll see who survives."

Just about everyone at the event liked what Bachmann had to say and the way she said it is the thing that resonated most with a lot of people.

Her conversational speaking style comes across as genuine, said Jean Beck of Mount Pleasant. After Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race last week, Beck wasn’t sure whom she liked more, so she came out Friday to size up Bachmann in person.

“I have watched (Bachmann) for two years and always liked here,” said Beck, a lifelong Republican. “But after hearing Perry, I wasn’t sure. Today, she reassured me. They both have depth. You just believe them.”