Poll: Obama Might Have Shot At Flipping North Carolina

By Eric Kleefeld

John McCain might end up having to work really hard to hold on to North Carolina, a new poll suggests, even though this Southern state hasn't voted Dem since Jimmy Carter's win in 1976.

The new numbers from Rasmussen: McCain 48%, Obama 45%, with a ±4.5% margin of error. Other polls have shown a similarly-close race, a surprising development considering that George W. Bush beat John Kerry here by a 56%-44% margin.

One thing that should be noted: North Carolina is on the list of 18 states that the Obama campaign has targeted with their ads so far, and the ads could be making an impact.