In S.C., Sen. Clinton Targets Black Vote

Lykes said that Clinton had "answered all the tough questions" and that he supports the former first lady.

Asked his feelings about Obama, though, Lykes said the senator's being black "matters a whole lot" in his decision, and he acknowledged he had yet to choose between the two candidates.

Although Obama is widely seen as the first black candidate with a serious shot at winning the presidency, national polling shows Clinton with a wide lead among black voters.

In a recent Washington Post-ABC News survey, Clinton led Obama by 60 percent to 20 percent among black voters -- a wider margin than the 41 percent to 17 percent lead she held over the freshman senator among the broader Democratic primary electorate.

Much of Clinton's strong support in the black community is due to the affection that many African Americans hold for her husband, former president Bill Clinton.

Those warm feelings were on display Monday, as the very mention of his name brought a roar from the crowd. "I was always a big fan of your husband," said one man who stood to pose a question in Columbia. "I thought he did a great job."

Asked why she is qualified to lead the nation in a time of peril at home and abroad, Clinton referred to the time she spent by her husband's side in Washington.

"During the eight years of Bill's presidency, I had a front row seat on history [and saw] the difficult decisions any commander in chief has to make," she said. "I learned both what works and what doesn't work."