Fog/Mist and 72° F

Bundled in coats in the rain and winter chill, crowds of students and Orangeburg residents waited outside Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center on the campus of South Carolina State University Tuesday night to see a presidential candidate.

"I'm anticipating another great speech from a man who has dreams of being president," said Brian Colclough a junior at Claflin University. "I like Obama because he stands for change. He believes in hope and as the Bible says, with the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains, so I believe that he brings that faith to the movement and he will be that catalyst for change in this country."

Waiting in line for almost an hour in the rain didn't faze a Massachusetts couple.

Sherry Meade and her husband, Sandy, were on their way to Florida when they made a detour to see Obama.

"We were driving down to Florida from Massachusetts and we knew that Barack was in South Carolina and we are big fans," Sherry said. "Having never seen him in person, we took a detour on our trip."

Obama was worth the detour "because we love him," the couple said in unison.

"We think that he's amazing," Sherry said. "This is one of those rare opportunities of a person who can change the world. He's that kind of guy."

The couple said they're old enough to have been around in the '60s and can remember when President John F. Kennedy was alive and when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died.

"We saw those great leaders and once in a while a special person comes and has that charisma and wherewithal to change things and we think that Barack could be one of those people," Sherry said.

Sandy Meade said he was greatly anticipating Obama's speech.

"I listen to him speak and he has this meter to him that is just mesmerizing," he said. "He's just an outstanding speaker and I think his ideas are really pragmatic."

After Obama's speech, crowds of people stayed around to take pictures and get a chance at seeing the presidential hopeful.

"He constantly talks about change and he's keeping that message going about change," said Idellia Judge, a resident of Orangeburg. "I do like that, but I expected him to talk more of the issues of the economy. I was looking for him to answer what specifically we need to do to get it jump-started."

Judge said the celebrity endorsements didn't faze her at all.

"I'm not here for that. My main concern is a new president that's going to get the job done," she said.

Students seemed to have a similar opinion of the star power attention the campaign is receiving.

"It's just a little funny how all the politicians are using a lot of superstars in this election and this campaign," said Jeremy Rogers, president of the SCSU Student Government Association. "I just hope it doesn't cloud any of the voters' view of the real issues that are at hand. I'm glad he spoke on education, on the war, health care and raising the minimum wage."

T&D Features Writer Candace Newson can be reached by e-mail at cnewson@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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