West Columbia, SC (WLTX) - While it's usually elephants credited with long memory, turns out Democrats have pretty good memories, too.
When campaigning in South Carolina for his 2007-08 presidential run, then-Sen. Barack Obama dined at Brookland Baptist Church.
When it came time to dine in town before heading over for his speech at Benedict College Friday, Obama chose a place he already knew, shocking church and restaurant personnel and patrons alike with his impromptu visit where he shook hands, hugged and mingled with about 100 patrons and staff before heading out.
Brookland Baptist marketing and public relations manager Marnie Robinson worked on Obama's 2008 campaign. and says she had no idea the president was coming until Secret Service agents came through her door.
"Secret Service showed up to my office and told me that we needed to talk," Robinson says. "They said we're going to have an official visit from a high-profile person, and they asked us to prepare the staff and get the campus ready."
"That was at about 11:20, so we had a short window to get everybody ready."
Shortly after agents had put security wands on everyone in the building, and President Obama arrived.
"It was pandemonimm," Robinson says. "All you could hear were the screams and the claps.
"It was a good day for our customers. You never know what's going to happen at the Brookland Banquet and Conference Center if you join us for lunch!"
