Unconfused in the Old North State

The gallused-overall wearing North Carolina farmers from whom I first learned to read a newspaper would have described current Democratic primary coverage in terms that may be best reserved for barnyards.

While I doubt Tar Heels are confused about it, anyone visiting from Mars or an extrasolar planet might be misled by hyperventilating media coverage into believing there is a cliff-hanger race between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

We can enjoy the attention Clinton and Obama give to campaigning here in the Old North State, and will vote with enthusiasm come the May 6 primary, without buying into the myth.

Grandaddy always said "every vote counts," even if you know who's going to win. I believe that were he alive today, he'd observe that Obama is going to win. And to tell the truth, Grandaddy broke fresh starch on khaki trousers every day, but clothing is beside the point.

After what is under the circumstances appropriate sarcasm, Politico runs through the math in nice detail, explaining why Ms. Clinton's candidacy is history.

To maybe, perhaps, just ever so possibly re-create a chance of winning the nomination, some are suggesting Ms. Clinton has to win, well, North Carolina. Us.

Which whiplashes us back to extrasolar journalists and pundits, since the polling news in that regard forecasts no such possibility.

Obama now has and may be consolidating his lead here.

Could it be that "down home": we're collectively smart enough to understand issues like loyalty to one's home church, and make allowances, rather than have our heads turned by the spin?

If I am not being unduly sentimental about my fellow North Carolinians, absent some kind of substantial and unexpected revelation, Ms. Clinton and the extrasolar journalists can relax. Rural and urban Tar Heels alike have this thing sorted out, thank you.

Addendum: A survey by Public Policy Polling showed Obama with 55 percent to Clinton's 34 percent among likely North Carolina voters in the May 6 primary.

That was before Ms. Clinton admitted she "misspoke" about having braved sniper fire in Bosnia in 1996, and before she said she would walk out on her church community rather than endure sermons like those of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.