By Valencia Mohammed
AFRO Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Early exit polls give Illinois Sen. Barack Obama a slight lead over his rivals, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, in a tight contest in the state’s Democratic primary today.
Interviews with voters leaving polls today reflected the tug of war between the top two competitors, Obama and Clinton.
Interviews with voters leaving polls today reflected the tug of war between the top two …
“I voted for Obama,” Betty Darby, 56, said. “We can’t keep just talking about change. We must elect the person who expresses change through their actions and not just talk about it in a campaign.”
But a woman standing outside of the voting site at Earlewood Park Community Center here saw it differently.
“Hillary was my choice,” she said’
By early afternoon, voting had picked up after a light start. At Earlewood Park, the precinct captain reported that 700 of the area’s 1,500 registered had voted by 2:30 p.m.
At the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge precinct in Ward 9, cousins Connie Gadson, 38, and Rodney Watkins, 34,very passionately expressed why they voted for their candidates.
“It’s time for a female president,” Gadson said.
“What about a Black man as president,” Watkins retorted.
“America is not ready for a Black man,” responded Gadson.
“You mean, you’re not, but I am and many other people who want change want him too,” replied Watkins.