Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Battle for Swing States: North Carolina

Details

  • Description

    Where do candidates stand in heated contest?

  • Duration 3:39
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Elections

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Consider -- meantime President Obama is hoping to repeat his 2008 victory in North Carolina traditionally a Republican strongholds.

Democrats even held their national convention in Charlotte.

Hoping to keep this stayed in their camp this time around but North Carolina is one of the few battleground states where governor Romney is ahead in the polls.

The state holds fifteen electoral votes the unemployment rate is now nine point 7% well above the national average of eight point 1% overall more than 450000.

People in that -- -- out of work.

The real clear politics polling average showing governor Romney narrowly leading in state wide polls bringing in now rob Christiansen.

He's chief political writer for the news and observer in Raleigh also the author of the paradox of tar heel politics good to see you.

For the year so we just show that hole in it's an example Apollo a back -- is performing so far this election cycle is it trending this.

The way you would expected this juncture.

While most people thought this would be a really tough state for President Obama to -- -- -- was such a narrow victory last time.

We've had persistently high unemployment.

In the last four years.

However we've had 58 million dollar spent -- mistake over the summer.

And the needle us Harley moved.

The polls tend to be sure the state could be within the margin America.

And it's just it's been.

The voters are very disappointed with the economy and with present -- -- performance here.

But.

Governor Romney simply has not closed the sale on the state and said the -- is still up for grabs its.

Up for grabs in so -- is why I'd imagine their First Lady Michelle a -- Perhaps the president's secret weapon -- making but eleven visits to North Carolina since 20098.

Tell -- talk about mrs.

Obama's appeal there.

Well she has.

Stressed.

Military families and helping them and of course North Carolina has a very strong military presence -- Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune marine base.

And so military issues are very important to way to -- she's much more popular than her husband is here.

And it's a way to -- -- -- and trade has held that the Obama administration very nonpartisan way because.

And has broad support acres across party lines of course.

And didn't have -- mentioned that 2008 election of course the Obama Biden ticket getting 49 point 7% of those there -- the McCain.

Palin to -- 49 for security -- closed so.

I excuse me what is it about the politics of a North Carolina -- they could such an enigma.

Well and there's a couple things going on here first of all it's it's and say yeah upper upper tier southern state it's much more like Virginia than the deep south state so it's always been much more moderate.

We've had twenty years of democratic governors which is the longest run democratic governors anywhere in the country except for the states or Washington Oregon.

So it's a very much of a split state.

In terms of its politics you know it tends to go.

Republican in presidential races.

It has a very large sized African American populations.

That that it -- to help President Obama.

And like -- like Florida.

I'm like Virginia and has had a tremendous number of people moving into the state.

From -- -- the country and particularly in northeast and the midwest.

And they bring global -- attitudes that are or more moderate in their politics.

Has helped transform state.

Yeah well I -- you keep a close eye on it there thanks for your insight rob Christensen thank you very much for.

-- --

Load More