Hasn't voted Democratic since 2008, why hasn't it moved Democratic like Georgia and Virginia has?
It’s because the Democrats aren’t hitting their capable numbers for: the U.S. Popular Vote (with their percentage-points margins) and carried states.
In 2008, a Democratic pickup year, likewise Democratic pickup North Carolina was the No. 28 best state (of a carried 28 states) for Barack Obama.
In 2012, when Obama was re-elected, his states count was reduced to 26. North Carolina, having flipped for losing Republican challenger Mitt Romney, came in at No. 27.
In 2016, a Republican pickup of the presidency for Donald Trump, losing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton carried 20 states. North Carolina was the Democrats’ No. 26.
In 2020, a Democratic pickup for the presidency for Joe Biden (who, in the process, unseated Republican incumbent Trump), North Carolina came in again at No. 26. Biden won 25 states.
(Joe Biden won nationally by +4.45. He needed a U.S. Popular Vote margin of +5 in order to carry 26 states. A national margin of +3.86 was enough for 2012 Obama to end up with 26 states.)
There is some humor in this.
