The 'Obama Before Obama'

Johnson settled into a chair to tell his stories. One of his ancestors owned slaves. "I believe he had a total of seven." His great-great-uncle, William Mahone, was a Confederate major general during the Civil War. Civil War history, along with politics, is one of Johnson's special interests.

"I don't think we ever should have had that war," offered Johnson. "That's why I have never admired Abraham Lincoln, because I think he could have avoided that war. That's a personal opinion."

He also had personal opinions about the presidential contest. Hillary Clinton? Barack Obama? He shook his head. "It's not a question of not liking them, it's a question of not thinking they're qualified." John McCain? "Hell no!"

What is this Democrat going to do? He didn't exactly say. "You'd be surprised at the number of people who are going to sit it out. What I'm telling you is my personal opinion."

And one last "personal opinion."

When the Board of Supervisors endorsed erecting a marker for Langston in the 1990s, that was a good thing, he said, the right thing. "At the time he rose, he had to have a lot of intestinal fortitude. So you can admire that."

But: "I guess you could ask 20 people in Louisa County who he was, and they wouldn't know." Sad, he said.

Johnson reached in his pocket and pulled out a few bills to pay for his grass seed and some Sevin dust to keep the bugs off the eggplant. "I want to make sure I have enough money leftover to buy me a hot dog going home."

And then Sambo was gone.