Bauer shrugs off past problems | The State

Though he has spent the past 14 years holding public office, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer says the public still does not know who he really is.

Bauer, 41, has served in the S.C. House and S.C. Senate and two terms as lieutenant governor, but he said the headlines about plane crashes, driving violations and comparing the poor to "stray animals" mean many voters have gotten the wrong impression.

"Not the ones that haven't met me," Bauer said of whether voters have an accurate idea of him. "If I had to vote for Andre Bauer based on what the media said I'm not sure I'd vote for him."

Among the four Republicans running for governor - U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, state Rep. Nikki Haley of Lexington and Attorney General Henry McMaster - polls show Bauer is among the most well-known candidate.

But that may also be Bauer's weakness, as many connect him with being pulled over, but not ticketed, for driving 101 mph on Interstate 77 near Chester in 2006. In 2003 Bauer was pulled over for running two red lights in downtown Columbia and charged with reckless driving. He later pleaded guilty to two lesser charges and paid a fine.

Bauer said he has learned from those mistakes, matured and maintained a clean driving record. But a February Winthrop University poll and a December Public Policy Polling survey found more of those surveyed viewed Bauer unfavorably than favorably.

But Bauer has never had much use for polls or conventional wisdom, and hustled his way to victory after he was written off - one state political consultant called him "toast" - in his 2006 reelection bid against the son of a former governor

"It appears Bauer will have a lot of trouble in either a primary or general election," Public Policy Polling concluded. "At the same time he showed an ability to come back from the political dead in 2006 so it would be a mistake to completely write him off."

Bauer agrees.

Other campaigns see those polls and view Bauer as a dead man walking. But Bauer is something of a runoff specialist, having won twice in runoffs, and most expect none of the GOP candidates will win a majority of the votes needed to avoid a runoff.

"Nobody ever says they are going to vote for Andre Bauer, and I've been elected 11 times," he said.

BAUER THE SALESMAN

Born in Charleston, Bauer was graduated from Irmo High School. Bauer said he grew up poor after his parents divorced, another reason he says that voters connect with him. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Bauer sold sports merchandise before running for the S.C. House in 1996. He was later elected to the Senate and then lieutenant governor in 2002.

No lieutenant governor has been elected to the top job since John West won in 1970. Bauer is building on his legislative experience and his successes running the Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging to make the case he would be a governor who could get things done in a legislatively dominated state.

"Don't go to a plumber if you need a dentist," said Jimmy Bailey, a former state representative from Charleston who is backing Bauer. "Who do we want to put in the Governor's Mansion? Someone who has never been a first mate on a ship?"

At his core, Bauer is a salesman - he earns a living buying and selling real estate, and sells art after Gamecock football games to raise money for his Palmetto Tomorrow Foundation - and retail politics is his bread and butter.

It's why Bauer kicked off his campaign last month by barnstorming the state for a day with a flurry of whistle-stops at diners, firehouses and VFW halls - and keeps a busy campaign schedule: Bauer believes when he meets voters one-on-one he can win them over.

"People relate to me," Bauer said. "I understand the plight of the average working person."

The tour was classic Bauer: Traveling to Union County in the wee hours was intended to show Bauer's youth, energy and willingness to work hard.

The two viewpoints of state voters were on display at The Skillet Restaurant in Spartanburg, where Bauer kicked off his round-the-state tour on March 22.

There to greet Bauer was Bobby Harrison, 55 of Woodruff, who offered his home to host a fundraiser. Harrison said he votes for Republicans and Democrats, but Bauer will get his vote because Bauer is likable.

"He knows the people. He does get out and meet the people," Harrison said, noting what he said is difference between Bauer and current Gov. Mark Sanford. "He's honest, he's young, he's got fresh ideas. I think he'll make a difference - or he'll try."

But the same day at The Skillet, a customer walked in and was offered a Bauer sticker. He turned the campaign workers down flat.

"Not on your last bet," he said, heading right back for the exit.

Bauer's next stop was his Greer home, one of several properties in which he has lived around the state. (Subsequently, Bauer's name has been floated as a candidate in a number of state Congressional districts).

As Bauer told a local television reporter how welcomed he felt in the Greer home he bought eight months earlier, as a real estate agent's key lockbox hung from the front door.

From there, Bauer caught a plane to reach a West Columbia stop before heading to Florence and the coast that evening.

NO REGRETS

Bauer said he is most proud of the growth in the Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging, which now has a $40 million budget. In 2007, Bauer ran the agency efficiently enough that he returned more than $400,000 in unspent funds to the state.

He has cut the agency budget the past two years while minimizing the impact on senior services.

The office has drawn criticism for the Senior Shield program, which, for a fee, screens and certifies that businesses are safe for senior citizens.

The program was started with about $100,000 in state funds, to be repaid with the fees. Bauer could not say how many businesses had signed up for the service.

"I have no idea. When it became so political, I withdrew," he said. He said he stands by the service and believes it a justified use of tax money. But critics said the service took money from businesses but provided no real additional benefit to seniors.

Likewise, Bauer is not backing off his "stray animals" comment about the amount of public aid some receive in South Carolina. He said he has received phone calls from state workers who have laid out how recipients flaunt the system.

Federal rules place strict guidelines on welfare, and according to the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services, 62 percent of Medicaid expenses go to seniors and the disabled - who only make up 24 percent of those enrolled in the program. Bauer says he doesn't favor cutting services to those who need it most, but says the state needs to reduce public aid despite children and low-income adults being the least expensive to insure.

But his message has resonated among voters on the campaign trail, and he said he would remain the candidate who speaks hard truths about state spending.

"They're not telling you the whole truth," Bauer said of other candidates. "It is frustrating to the working folks."