McCain/Palin pull ahead in NC

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- In an election for President of the United States in North Carolina Tuesday, September 09, Republican John McCain suddenly and breathtakingly surges to a 20-point win over Democrat Barack Obama, 58% to 38%, according to this latest exclusive SurveyUSA election poll conducted for ABC11-WTVD.

In 3 previous SurveyUSA NC tracking polls, McCain had led by 8, 5, and 4 points. Today: 20. McCain has gained ground in every demographic group. Among men, McCain led by 9 last month, 27 today. Among women, Obama led by 2 last month, trails by 12 today. McCain holds 9 of 10 Republican voters; Obama holds 3 of 4 Democratic voters; independents, who were split last month, break today crisply for McCain, where, in the blink of an eye, he is up by 25.

The following was asked of 671 likely voters (more data on collection listed at the bottom):

• If the election for President were today, would you vote for ... (choices rotated) Republican John McCain? Or, Democrat Barack Obama?
  
  58% McCain (R)
  38% Obama (D)
  2% Other
  2% Undecided
  

The Results of a SurveyUSA Election Poll
Geography Surveyed: North Carolina
Data Collected: 09/06/2008 - 09/08/2008

McCain is now in front among the educated and less educated, among the affluent and less affluent. He's polling at 64% in Coastal Carolina (up from 57%), at 60% in Charlotte (up from 53%), and at 54% in Raleigh / Greensboro (up from 44%). Pro-Life voters backed McCain 2:1 last month, 4:1 this month.

SurveyUSA interviewed 900 North Carolina adults 09/06/08 - 09/08/08. All interviews were completed after the Labor Day weekend, and after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention. Of the 900 adults, 783 were registered to vote; of them, 671 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in the 11/04/08 general election. North Carolina has 15 Electoral College votes. Incumbent Republican President George W. Bush carried the state by 12 points in 2004 and by 13 points in 2000.

(Copyright ©2008 WTVD-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Two points. One, This is further evidence that Mr. McCain made an inspired choice in choosing Governor Palin to be his running mate. North Carolina is one of the red states which the Democrats thought they could pick off this year. That seems completely impossible now and I think it represents a trend which will show up nation wide in the coming days and weeks.

Second, and I'll bet even the left-wing Asheville bloggers will agree with me about this. Do you notice how the Raleigh TV station breaks the state down into the Raleigh, costal and Charlotte sections and seem to completely forget about the mountains?

Those down-east alpha hotels have been treating the western part of the state like it didn't exist since NC has been a state and it is only getting worse.