Will Michelle campaign here? If so, that would signal S.C. is in play

Michelle Obama might appear at the Charleston NAACP branch's freedom fund banquet next month, and if her visit firms up, it would underscore how Sen. Barack Obama aims to fight for South Carolina votes in a way few Democratic presidential contenders have done in the past.

The NAACP hopes to land Michelle Obama as its keynote speaker but declined further comment Wednesday. It's one of the prime opportunities to talk with politically active Democratic base in the Lowcountry.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gave the keynote address last year, which some described as a sort of consolation prize after the South Carolina Black Caucus invited Obama to give their keynote address in Columbia.

If Michelle Obama accepts, it would signal that her husband is serious about running hard in a state that hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential contender since former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter won here in 1976.

Phil Noble, a Charleston businessman and leader of the South Carolina New Democrats, visited Obama's headquarters in Chicago last week to encourage the campaign to invest in this state, and he also has tried to urge Michelle Obama to appear at the NAACP event.

"I think South Carolina is being moved to the 'watch list,'" Noble said. "It's on the radar screen. It's not a prime target. It's not a secondary target, but it's on the screen."

Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier.