Uptick Action

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Three mildly interesting things have just happened in the Democratic primary race -- one today, two yesterday.

First, a Public Policy poll released earlier this afternoon found that Barack Obama had regained a sizable lead over Hillary Clinton among North Carolina voters, 55 to 34 percentage points. He leads 80% to 14% among black voters with Clinton topping him 47 % to 40% among white voters, although she was allegedly ahead of him with this group at 56% to 30% a week ago.

Second, Senate Democratic Majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada told the Las Vegas Review Journal's Molly Ball yesterday that "things are being done" to assure that the Clinton-Obama race will be settled "well" before the convention (most observers believe it'll definitely be settled by the early-to-mid May results of the North Carolina, Oregon and Indiana primaries).

And third, U.S. Senator Mary Cantwell of Washington State, a current Clinton supporter, yesterday told the Columbian's editorial board that the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season in late June will have the strongest claim to the party's presidential nomination.

In other words, there's a slightly more pronounced feeling of support and sentiment tipping away from Clinton, and the impact of last week's Reverend Wright trauma appears to be fading in some quarters. Weird, though, about the disparity between North Carolina voters and the hermetic, rank-and-file Pensylvanians -- redneck, lunchbox, under-educated, down-in-the-mines, etc.