Presidential candidates swarm the Holy City

Mayor Riley at Marion Square, Charleston, S.C.

Holy confusion, kids! The city is swarming with Republicans, giant black SUVs and buses with Newt Gingrich's face plastered on the side. Newt leered in the window overseeing my caprese sandwich at Caviar & Banana. One gentleman in the crowd had a vehicle with a giant stuffed dog on the roof and a sign saying "Dogs Against Mitt Romney," so that settles that.

Newt Gingrich's bus outside Caviar & Bananas

I had planned to meet my blog buddy Chuck to talk about a few of his photo projects and to hear about a speaking engagement I had suggested him for and I didn't realize what a hotbed of activity I had picked as a location. We were directly across from the Sottile Theater where the debate was taking place.

Earlier that morning, however, I had timed my morning walk to hear Mayor Riley stake a claim in the lowcountry for President Barack Obama. He was surrounded by College of Charleston Democratic students. I ran into reporter David MacDougal who wrote the event up for the Post & Courier.

"I speak from a city and county where, four years ago, a majority of residents voted for Barack Obama as president," Riley said.

"In about an hour, in an event that is apparently closed to the press (at the Sottile Theatre), candidates will be talking" about why they should be elected to lead our country, Riley said. "We have a leader in this country. He resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and his name is Barack Obama."