Bachmann courts Daniel Island

Michele Bachmann introduced herself Wednesday morning to Lowcountry voters she hopes will help her become the Republican presidential nominee.

"I believe Barack Obama must be," she told about 300 people gathered at Daniel Island's Smythe Park, most of whom joined with her in finishing her sentence, "a one-term president."

Moments after Bachmann stepped off her bright blue bus, she made a reference to Tuesday night's College World Series finale. "I have one thing to say, 'Go Gamecocks!' "

Many people there said they showed up to see her in person and that they've not made up their mind who they'll support in South Carolina's GOP presidential primary, which will be held early next year.

Judging by its applause and occasional shouts of praise, the crowd -- a mixture of longtime Republicans and tea party members -- quickly warmed to Bachmann during her 25-minute speech.

"Our No. 1 problem right now in the United States is that government is spending too much of your money," she told them. "Do you agree with that? There's no question.

"I talk to people, whether it's here in South Carolina or all across the country, they're worried that their children won't have the ability to buy a home or the ability to have what they have -- or even to get a job."

One audience member asked about media reports that there is tension between Bachmann and another tea party favorite, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"I have a very good relationship with Governor Palin," Bachmann said. "They (some in the media) want to see two girls come together and have a mud-wrestling fight, and I'm not going to give it to them."

Bachmann, a congresswoman from Minnesota, who formally kicked off her presidential campaign Monday and finished her inaugural bus tour Wednesday with several South Carolina stops, beginning with Daniel Island.

Her stump speech mixed details, such as her growing up with her three brothers, with policy positions, such as her support for Israel, her opposition to the stimulus bill and Obama's health care law, and her commitment to develop more energy resources in the United States.

She repeatedly jabbed Obama, criticizing him for not creating enough jobs -- even for relying on a Teleprompter.

She did not mention any of her GOP rivals except when asked about Palin, and Bachmann also called for unity among fiscal conservatives, social conservatives and national security conservatives.

Charleston Tea Party Chairman Mike Murphree said he hopes Bachmann will return and hold a town hall with the group's members. "A speech is great, but you don't get to know any dynamics of the individual," he said. "It's still early."

Murphree said some tea party members like Bachmann, while others like businessman Herman Cain and former Sen. Rick Santorum.

Lissette Guadalupe of Daniel Island said her husband is always watching FOX television personality Glenn Beck, and that helped prompt her to pay more attention to politics this election. "This is the first time ever I'm going to take the time to see or hear from the candidates," she said. "I live close by. It's a good time to start."

Charleston County GOP Chairwoman Lin Bennett introduced Bachmann by noting the controversial question posed to her last weekend by FOX News anchor Chris Matthews. "Michele Bachmann is not a flake," Bennett said. "She understands how important South Carolina voters are in picking presidents."

Eddie O'Neill of Daniel Island said he felt Bachmann had a good message. "She did great, very well-spoken," he said.

From her rally on Daniel Island

"I'm fully committed to the full-scale repeal of Obamacare. ... The Congressional Budget Office said if we pass Obamacare, we would lose upwards of 800,000 jobs. Now how hard would it be to figure out, when you've got a tough economy and you've already lost millions of jobs, now you're going to pass the government takeover of health care and lose another 800,000 jobs? This is not genius thinking here, to do something like that."

"By the way, I do need to apologize with you this morning because I forgot to bring my Teleprompter with me. I just wanted you to know, in the Bachmann presidency, there won't be any Teleprompter because I believe people in South Carolina, just like people across the nation, can take the unvarnished truth, and they're waiting for the truth."

"President Obama made a very big mistake in May when he made a speech and he called on our great friend and ally Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders, which are indefensible. I stand with Israel."

"Our government is locking up this wealth that we have in the form of energy, whether it is oil reserves or natural gas. We have 25 percent of all the world's coal here in the United States, and we're busy being under a stranglehold from OPEC in the Middle East. Are you kidding me? We should be accessing our own energy in the United States and putting them in the stranglehold."

"I'm a former federal tax lawyer. I have a law degree. ... I spent my life in the United States federal tax court seeing how high taxes devastate individuals, families, farmers, small businesses. My husband and I came from a lower middle-class background. We worked our way through college. I drove a school bus. I worked the lunch counter. We did everything you do to get through college, and we know how hard it is to actually make a profit."