In the coming months, this downtown business will be one of the places where the daily headlines are debated and voting alliances are made leading up to South Carolina's first-in-the-South Democratic primary.

In a state where black voters could make up half of the electorate in the Feb. 3 contest, candidates understand how important it is to gain an endorsement from high-level black officials. But political observers and campaign strategists say it's just as important to build support among leaders in local barber shops, churches and civil rights groups.

"That's where so much of the political discussions take place in the black community," said U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who is the state's top black elected official. "Quite frankly, I learned my politics in my mother's beauty shop."

Smith, who has a degree in mathematics and is studying economics at the University of South Carolina, says he'll support the right candidate instead of holding an allegiance to any political party.

If he's not discussing health care costs with his grandmother or jobs with students and professors, Smith is back at the barber shop talking about the latest news.

"I'm pretty much the expert on everything around here," he said. "Sports, politics, school work, math -- just ask me."

Two of Smith's customers chat about politics while in the barbershop.

Wali Robertson, 21, can't believe the amount of money spent on campaigns, while his brother Ahmed, 22, is worried about the possibility of a draft to fight in Iraq if President Bush remains in office.

Both want Bush replaced, but they say it's too early to know which of the nine Democrats could beat the first-term Republican.

Clyburn has yet to endorse any presidential candidate.

"I don't think that there's any kind of a monolithic attitude in the black community out there at all," he said. "Blacks are not unlike anybody else. They tend to want to be with a winner. They tend to want to see whether or not their attitude is square with the guy that's out there."

James Dukes, South Carolina political director for John Kerry's campaign, says many potential voters are not paying attention yet and black elected officials give guidance at the grass-roots level.

"Once they start to get tuned in, they're going to be watching ... what campaigns are doing and watching what folks in the community they respect are doing and who they're supporting," Dukes said.

Mary-Catherine LeGette, 19, said her hometown church in Marion is where she gets much of her political information.

"I was always up on what was going on, when they would talk about it in school, ... because I found out about it Sunday at church," said the South Carolina State University freshman, who likes Wesley Clark in the presidential race.

The Rev. Ed Francis, who works for Dick Gephardt's campaign, said it's important to spread the word among friends.

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