Supporters of S.C. Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum will make a huge mistake if they take the candidacy of Columbia Mayor Bob Coble lightly.

Both are seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Ernest "Fritz" Hollings.

Coble is a disciplined campaigner. He will develop a theme designed to bring about victory and stay the course. He will not be a walkover. Just ask former Columbia Mayor Patton Adams, who was ousted by Coble in 1990.

Coble has been busy working the phones, raising money and lining up support.

"I feel very strong about it," he said last week. "I'm going to give it my best shot and stay away from negatives."

Some still wonder whether Coble will run. Two days after he announced he was in the race, he sent out a squishy fund-raising appeal that suggested he was still in the exploratory stage. In the Aug. 15 missive, Coble said he was going to "investigate" a potential race and would use contributions to pay for polling and other input needed to "evaluate" a Senate race.

That doesn't sound like a man who has made up his mind. He left himself plenty of room to bow out of the picture.

Coble and his advisers must do better. This is not a local campaign for mayor. It's for the U.S. Senate. One wonders whether his team is ready for prime time.

Coble consultant Bob Wislinski insists the mayor is serious about the race. "This is certainly a big deal to him."

Coble and company think he can take the nomination by winning the black vote, which could represent as much as 50 percent of the turnout in the Democratic primary.

"His message won't be aimed at the quiche-and-white-wine crowd," assured Wislinski.

State Rep. Leon Howard, D-Richland, predicts the mayor will dominate the black vote.

A "deep-water Democrat," Coble has served as executive director of the state party, ran Mike Daniel's race for governor in 1986, and served on Richland County Council.

What he lacks in charisma, he makes up for as a consensus-builder and a straight-talker. There's never any doubt where he stands on the issues.

Democratic political consultant Kevin Geddings says Coble is the strongest candidate the party could put up against Republicans.

"As a conservative, he'd be the best candidate and have the best chance of winning," he said.

Coble, who has served as mayor for 13 years, has an edge in Richland County, the largest and most Democratic county in the state. It's also the largest media market in a Democratic primary. Coble, seen on local TV news two or three times a week, is well-known and well-liked in many parts of the Midlands.

Coble also has been working the Municipal Association of South Carolina in an attempt to line up support from fellow mayors.

Meanwhile, Geddings is doing the dirty work of the Republicans by branding Tenenbaum a liberal, a remark likely to be replayed in a GOP ad should Tenenbaum get the Democratic nod.

Former state Democratic Chairman Dick Harpootlian, a Coble supporter, says Tenenbaum "is better suited for governor."

Democrats are concerned about a divisive, costly primary, fearing it could open old wounds, leave the party penniless, and kill any chance of winning the Senate race.

Tenenbaum, no shrinking violet, is ready to take on all comers. For a while, she thought she had a free ride in the primary. Coble said two weeks ago he would not run if she did. Then he decided at the eleventh hour to run, she said.

Tenenbaum has her detractors in the party, mostly a faction headed by Geddings, Harpootlian and former Gov. Jim Hodges.

The race for the Democratic nomination - once thought to be a sleepy if not nonexistent affair - is starting to show all the makings of a real donnybrook.