Political circus pops up on The Citadel campus

A mysterious Panda was spotted trolling the grounds of The Citadel on Monday.

The man inside the costume, who wouldn't give his name, admitted he was awfully hot but didn't have much else to say, other than he was trying to send a message about pandering politics.

Others were less cagey. LBJ, not the former president, of course, but Linda Butler-Johnson, a Republican from Wadmalaw, wasn't bashful about the message she had for those gathered for the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate.

Spilled across a folding table under her "Vote Republicans" signs, Butler-Johnson had hair-care products next to a few makeshift barber's chairs. "No one had a big enough ego to ask for the $400 haircut," Butler-Johnson said, although she did give a few people a quick trim.

She wasn't the only Republican rallying at The Citadel, perceived by most as a conservative campus, despite its share of prominent Democratic graduates, including former Sen. Fritz Hollings and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley.

Cadet Kenneth Carbone, 20, a rising junior from Annapolis, Md., said he's a "pretty hard-core conservative" and didn't want to see The Citadel play host to the debate.

"These people decided to have a Democratic debate in my house," he said.

But in the end, it was the Democrats' night.

Cadet Holly Maslowski, 19, a rising junior from Cincinnati, said she's a Democrat, "which is rare here." She said she was "really, really excited" to learn the debate was coming to the campus and managed to have the chance to usher the most important guests to the VIP section.

And supporters gathered for events throughout the city all day, capping off with watch parties during and after the debate, and trolling for their favorites. At Sen. Barack Obama's party, cheering supporters treated him like a rock star, standing in line for autographs and photos.

Leonard Champaign, 18, of Johns Island, marched from The Citadel gates and through Charleston city streets before arriving at the International Longshoremen's Association Hall for the party.

"He brought his 'A' game," Champaign said.

At Sen. Hillary Clinton's watch party, Darlene Hutchinson of Greenville and her son, 16-year-old Burundi Boyd, said they were vacationing in the area and were able to attend the party.

She, like many, was searching for a reason to vote. "I felt very proud. I felt she stood for what she believes in, which is what I believe in," Hutchinson said. She plans to vote for the first time in five years in the 2008 election.

Reach Yvonne M. Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.