Bachmann in Ames; plastic cups melt! (audio)

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann started this Sunday with an address at an Evangelical Christian church in Des Moines, followed by brunch at The Machine Shed — a chain that’s known for its farm cookin’ and hefty portions.  She’s also been appearing at events this weekend to draw attention to the upcoming Ames Straw Poll and her campaign scheduled a mid-afternoon stop in Ames, about a mile from where the Straw Poll festivities will be staged on August 13.

The event was held outside, in the parking lot of the Gateway Center Hotel in Ames.  Most everyone in the crowd arrived before the candidate, and many sought refuge inside the hotel’s conference center.  At the invitation of the hotel staff, I spent some quality time in an air conditioned  hotel ballroom, watching the World Cup Finals along with some of the other people who had gathered to hear Bachmann.  Folks who remained outdoors sought refuge under the shade of trees.

Once Bachmann arrived, most of the folks emerged from the shade, but some in the crowd of nearly 100 remained under the protection of the trees rather than venture out onto the blistering concrete.

AUDIO: Bachmann’s 14-minute speech.

Near the end of her speech, a man came under the audio tent where I was standing to show me a misshapen plastic cup.  The Bachmann campaign had arranged for metal pitchers of ice water to be placed on a table in the shade, near the hotel, to keep the crowd hydrated, but it was so hot the stacks of plastic cups had melted.

Bachmann gave an abbreviated address, then invited the crowd to follow her to the shade of the trees where she stayed signing autographs and posing for pictures.

Bachmann took off her shoes and chatted with the crowd for more than half an hour as a couple of her staff members circulated with iPads, taking down contact information from people in the crowd who indicated they needed tickets for the Straw Poll.

Several of the people I spoke with before and after said they were still mulling the choices in the presidential race.  One couple from nearby Ogden indicated they’ll be back in Ames on Tuesday to hear Tim Pawlenty, as they’ve narrowed their choice down to either Bachmann or Pawlenty.