Oprah may give Obama the edge in S.C.

Black voters seem to trust her more than they do the pols

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Oprah Winfrey may be just what Barack Obama needs to push him over the top in South Carolina.

People along the black beauty and barbershop belt appear to trust the Queen of Talk a lot more than they trust the politicians. Obama's aggressive campaign targeting this treasure trove of black voters apparently has helped get him within two percentage points of Hillary Clinton, according to a recent poll released by the Obama campaign.

"'I am going to do this, and I'm going to do that,' and when they get in the chair, they forget their promises," said Cora Johnson, a senior born and raised in South Carolina. "A lot of them [Southern people] most definitely don't want a lady president to start off with because they don't think a woman is qualified to carry the nation," Johnson said, as she sat getting her hair set. "That gives Obama the edge right there."

Although gender hasn't been an issue in the campaign, this is the "South, and the South is slow to change," pointed out Danyelle America, the proprietor of Salon Fabulous, where Johnson was getting her hair styled.

The black vote is critical in states like South Carolina.

America, a transplanted Chicagoan, has been spreading the word ever since someone from the Obama campaign showed up at her shop a year ago. She's excited that Oprah is living up to her word and campaigning for Obama.

"There's one thing about her: When she believes in something, she goes for it wholeheartedly," America said. "When I heard she was endorsing him, I was even more excited because she doesn't need him. Really, she has everything that she can possibly need."

The latest Rasmussen Poll shows that Obama was the top choice of 34 percent of the state's likely voters -- two points shy of Hillary Clinton's 36 percent. A month ago, Clinton had a 10-percentage-point lead. Obviously, Oprah's influence isn't being underestimated. Former President Bill Clinton added Charleston, S.C., to his schedule and promoted his wife's health care plan there Saturday.

Donnell McDaniels, the 36-year-old dreadlocked owner of Smokes Barbershop, admitted a lot of his customers don't know much about Obama.

"I think people would just vote for Obama because Oprah is involved, and because two professional black people are coming together as one," he said.

Danyelle America agrees.

"I don't want to say this harshly," she said, pausing to collect her thoughts. "It is just when you are not educated on something, you don't know which way to go, and you tend to follow the leader. African Americans in South Carolina have been programmed to do what they are told. Right now, they think this is about Oprah," she said. "All you hear is: 'Are you going to see Oprah on Sunday?' "

That makes Oprah a true match for the high-profile and influential ministers who have been singing Clinton's praises.

For example, Darrell Jackson, a state senator and pastor of a local mega-church, is not only running Clinton's campaign in South Carolina, but he is benefitting financially from that campaign because his private company is being paid to do her public relations outreach.

Instead of hurting Obama's chances with black voters, however, the Clinton campaign will likely suffer a backlash from disillusioned voters.

"Sometimes when a black man gets in a position, he forgets where he came from," said Tory Barrett, a 30-year-old truck driver/owner, who is on the fence. "People promise this and promise that.

"When you come down to it, I feel it would be a good thing to see what kind of changes Obama could make," Barrett said.

Although the Obama/Oprah rally had to be moved to the Williams-Brice Stadium at the University of South Carolina because so many people wanted to attend, not everyone is rushing to see the celebrity. But even people who aren't planning to be at the rally were impressed that Oprah was coming to South Carolina.

"I think she will bring a lot of people who might have voted for Hillary to the Obama side," said Stacy Folks, who was standing outside of Jukes' Barbershop waiting for his 7-year-old son. "But a lot of us out here will probably vote for him anyway. He talks like he could get something done and could make a difference."

America predicted there would be a huge turnout for the rally. She just hopes star-gazers will come away with something more than a peep at Oprah.

"South Carolina needs a make-over," she said. "Obama and Oprah don't need us. We need them."