Mary Mitchell

Danyelle America, a former South Sider, was outside the William-Brice stadium in Columbia, S.C. talking to people about voter registration on Sunday. She estimates that about 700 people got help with address changes and other administrative glitches that could keep them from voting in the primary.

"There are some of the biggest churches here, and the pastors are supporting Hillary," said America. "They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Half of the people in the churches are poor and lower class. You got people walking around here who aren't just poor, they are starving," she said.

I'm supporting Obama because I believe he can make a difference," America told me. "I try to plant a seed everywhere I go, but I'm here because I choose to be. If things get too hard, I'm leaving. "

Cheryl Woodhouse is also a native of Chicago. A graduate of Hirsch High School, she joined the Army when she graduated in 1979. After retiring in 2005, she settled in Columbia. She's been involved with the Obama campaign for about a year.

"I still work for the government and you know for me to take off from work, being here has to be worth it," Woodhouse said.

Posted by Mary Mitchell at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

Two hours before Oprah is set to come to William-Brice stadium to pump up Sen. Barack Obama's numbers in South Carolina, an 18-year-old musician, Daniel Davis from Charleston, rocked the violin with an amazingly strong performance, people scrambled for the close seats. Arrested Development is also scheduled to perform.

Obama staffers don't expect to fill up the 80,000 plus stadium, but didn't want anyone to be left out either. The first person to line up for the 2:30 p.m. event was in place before the sun came up, said Ben LaBolt. "People have wrapped around the stadium twice," he said.

When I arrived around noon, cars were parked alongside the road and long lines of people were waiting patiently for the doors to open. After the gray skies and surprisingly cool weather for the past couple of days, the South Carolina sun is in full blast.

Posted by Mary Mitchell at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I understand that elderly people can get pretty feisty in their senior years, but Andrew Young's comments about Sen. Barack Obama were disgusting, especially since Young is a civil rights icon. In an interview posted online, Young, 75, said Bill Clinton "is every bit as black as Barack" and "He's probably gone with more black women than Barack."

How Young, a former United Nations ambassador, went from Barack being too young to become President, to Hillary being the best candidate because "Bill is every bit as black as Barack" is beyond me. But Young's comments show what Barack Obama is up against. Instead of being ashamed of Clinton's sexual escapades in the White House, Young apparently thinks Clinton's philandering, and the fact that Hillary put up with it, makes Clinton an authentic black man. Although Young was quick to tell the interviewer he was "clowning," and got a few laughs from his audience, he disgraced himself and his legacy.

Posted by Mary Mitchell at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (20) | TrackBacks (0)