100 VOTERS: HOW WE DID IT
Observer reporters talked to 100 North Carolinians in the past few days about Tuesday's primary and November's general election. Most of the people interviewed were at early voting locations in the Charlotte region.
With the Democratic presidential primary too close to call, and the Republican nomination essentially decided, most voters we randomly interviewed said they were at the polls early to choose between Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Stories were written by staff reporter Tim Funk. Conducting interviews, in addition to Funk, were reporters Kevin Cary, Shawn Cetrone, Sharif Durhams, Deborah Hirsch, David Ingram, Greg Lacour, Steve Lyttle, Allen Norwood, Tommy Tomlinson and Marcie Young.
You would think we'd all be worn out by now.
For months now, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have made speeches, dropped in at barbecue joints and blasted e-mails to N.C. voters, aiming for their support in Tuesday's primary.
Over the past few days we went out to talk to 100 of those voters across the Charlotte area -- mainly at early-voting sites. Most of the folks we talked to don't seem worn out at all.
Many pushed aside the daily headlines (hello, Rev. Wright) to look deeper into the issues -- especially the economy and the war in Iraq.
Many feel a deep emotional connection to their favored candidate.
And at least some think the long battle has made Clinton and Obama stronger.
"Don't tell me they should not compete," says Obama supporter Aniedi Abasiekong (an-ED-dee ah-BASS-ee-ah-kong). "Competition is good. It is not for the weak."
Of course the biggest competition comes in the fall, when the Democratic winner faces Republican John McCain. For now, with Obama-Clinton in such a hot race, most of the early voters we found were Democrats.
But a few Republicans were voting early, too -- some in the governor's race (featuring our mayor, Pat McCrory), and others pushing the button for McCain.
"I think Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have hurt each other with the backstabbing," said McCain voter Sandy Barnhardt of Concord. "He (McCain) seems honest and straightforward. He doesn't waffle back and forth."
I drove west from Charlotte on Thursday, looking for candidates' yard signs. On East Marion Street in Shelby, in front of a beautiful 1930s house, an Obama sign poked out of Abasiekong's front yard.
Abasiekong, who's 59, was born in Nigeria, became a real-estate broker here and served on the Shelby City Council.
"Obama epitomizes my aspirations," he said. "Whatever you could dream happens; it is happening for him now."
Not far away, I found Jackay McDaniel at her house on the west edge of Gastonia. There were eight Hillary signs out front. She said she would've had more but her stapler broke.
Part of her support for Clinton is gut-level: "Our United States is in bad shape, and men have put us there. We've got a good, strong woman who can straighten it out."
But McDaniel, who's 65, also believes in Clinton's experience: "Obama is being too -- what's the word I'm looking for -- naive.... You can't take all these old hardheaded politicians and change them overnight. I think Hillary will be better at dealing with that."
Many of our 100 voters, when asked about issues, mentioned the war in Iraq and the economy.
"When you know people yourself who are unemployed, and so many jobs are going overseas..." Jacqueline Stewart, a Charlotte sales consultant, told one of our reporters. "I would like for the war to end. I'm not sure we've done any good over there, and the soldiers who are returning, we aren't taking care of them properly."
One issue that wasn't much of an issue was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's longtime pastor, whose sermons have dogged Obama on the campaign trail.
Wright has been on TV so much lately that you'd think he was running for president. But most of the people we talked to had made their choice before they ever heard of Wright. And for most of the rest his words didn't make any difference.
Amanda Stowe of Gastonia said she's voting for Clinton. But when asked about Wright, she said: "I feel bad for Obama.... He (Wright) is going out because it's giving him a name and I think he's being real selfish."
The themes in the voters' minds track close to the big themes of the campaign. Obama supporters think he brings fresh ideas and leadership. Clinton's fans think she brings toughness and experience.
"I think he offers vision," said Obama voter David Chapman, a military retiree from Gastonia. "He believes that we can change, and I think it's time for the country to accept that. We need to heal our reputation in the world."
"She knows her way around," said Clinton voter Mary Thrush of Huntersville. "I'd feel more secure with her as president."
In general, we talked to voters who had already voted (in early voting) or had made a final decision on a candidate.
But both Obama and Clinton are still pressing, still crossing the state, because they know that some voters still haven't made up their minds -- and other potential voters might be lifted off the couch by just the right image, just the right phrase.
In an election this close the small things matter.
But so does the long term. A couple of voters we talked to support Clinton because they figure Obama will get another chance. Others support Obama because they figure the Clintons had their chance when Bill was in office.
Every election is the accumulation of minds, of calculating practical things (who's electable?) and poetic things (who's inspiring?) into some formula that leads to confetti on Election Day.
Most years, at presidential primary time, North Carolina doesn't count. This year it does. The candidates are in a full sprint all the way to the finish line.
And this time the voters are right there with them.
