My thanks go out to all organizers, activists, volunteers and donors who helped Obama achieve a hugely significant 15% margin of victory in the 2008 NC Primary. Several kossacks from NC had previously claimed that North Carolina would be the ultimate firewall for the Obama campaign.
You were right!
You said Carolinians (Northern flavor) would come out in droves for Obama and stop dead any momentum that Hillary might still be carrying. And you did. When NC efforts are combined with efforts in SC, which was also a crucial early victory for Obama, it would appear that all Obama supporters owe a big debt of gratitude for the regional loyalty to our candidate of choice.
If someone in 2007 had said that 50 primaries/caucuses would need to be completed before a consensus Democratic nominee would emerge, the immediate interpretation would have been that the entire nation of Democrats would need to weigh in. 50 states, 50 contests, right? But as we've seen, 6 of the contests, to date, were of the non-state variety.
Still, how incredible is it that approximately 95% of the nation's Democrats (and some Republicans and Independents) had a chance to cast a meaningful vote in our nomination process for President. This is truly little "d" democracy at work.
Many here have rued the prolonged contest, putting forth reasonable arguments that we were undercutting the ultimate nominee prior to the general election. Or, that we should be focusing our guns and money on McCain. But I say, every dollar spent by Clinton and especially by Obama in NC and IN was money well spent. Did we just put North Carolina and Indiana in play during the General Election? I think so. When was the last time Republicans had to put significant resources into these 2 states to secure their electoral votes? 1976? 1964?
I hope voters in WV, KY, OR, SD, MT and Puerto Rico can feel the energy in their own upcoming contests that the rest of the nation has experienced. I don't doubt that you'll be paid a visit or 2 from Senator Barack Obama.
But once again, as someone who lives clear across the country in Washington state (former inhabitant of Virginia), I say thank you to the good people of North Carolina for making a wise decision and moving Barack Obama oh so close to the 2008 Democratic Party nomination.