North Carolina and Indiana's primaries are today. How do they compare? 

North Carolina has 8.9 million residents; Indiana, 6.3 million.

North Carolina is 21.7 percent black; Indiana, 8.9 percent.

North Carolina is 48,711 square miles; Indiana, 35,867.

Bush won both states in the 2004 election.

The last time Democratic presidential candidate to win Indiana was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The last Democrat to win North Carolina was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

North Carolina has 115 delegates up for grabs and Indiana has 72.

North Carolina race fans go to Lowe's Motor Speedway. Indiana's fans go to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

North Carolina's biggest industry is banking, with the headquarters of Bank of America, Wachovia and BB&T headquartered there. Indiana's industry is health care products and drugs, with the headquarters of Eli Lilly and Co., Anthem and Guidant.

Both states have a rich basketball tradition. Indiana has Larry Bird, Notre Dame, Butler and Purdue. North Carolina has Michael Jordan, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University and N.C. State.

Famous Hoosiers include David Letterman, John Mellencamp and Steve McQueen. Famous Tar Heels include Billy Graham, Andy Griffith and Thomas Wolfe.

Andy Griffith's 2004 ad for Mike Easley.

Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly identified this ad as a 2000 campaign spot.

Andy Griffith's ad for Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue has picked up a big endorsement in the race for governor: Sheriff Taylor.

Andy Griffith appears in a new ad for Perdue in which he touts her vision, strength and honesty. He mentions her endorsements from groups that include, "of course, sheriffs."

"Oh, you're going to be a goooood governor," Griffith tells Perdue.

Griffith agreed to the ad after talking with Senate leader Marc Basnight and Basnight's nephew, fundraiser R.V. Owens, about it.

"Sen. Basnight spoke to Andy Griffith and told him why he thought Bev Perdue was the best choice for governor and Andy Griffith agreed," said Schorr Johnson, a spokesman for Basnight.

Griffith's support is serious business. In 2000, the actor helped Gov. Mike Easley get elected. Easley, then attorney general was the front runner early on, but saw his lead evaporating in the final weeks. Again, with Basnight's help, Grifffith agreed to cut a spot for Easley, which Democrats called "The Mayberry Miracle." Easley ran another Griffith ad in 2004.

Easley's opponent in the 2000 race, former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot doubted the ad changed the outcome of the election.

Someone at WRAL's programming department has a sense of humor.

The same day that the Raleigh station is scheduled to air the first no-holds-barred debate between Democratic gubernatorial candidates Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue, which episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" did it air?

"Ellie for Council" — the one where pharmacist Ellie Mae runs for City Council, to the consternation of the menfolk of Mayberry.

Of course, it's unlikely that Moore will propose that North Carolina's male voters cancel their credit cards, or that Perdue will suggest female voters refuse to cook dinner in retaliation.

Still, "Put that in your soda and sip it!" might be a good campaign slogan.

Dome watched the episode, appropriately enough, at a barber shop.

From the In Case You Were Wondering files at Dome HQ.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Moore's Feb. 9 ad  during "The Andy Griffith Show" on WRAL was the episode entitled "Howard the Comedian."

In that episode, Howard hurts his friends by naming them in an amateur comedian act.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beverly Perdue's other ad aired during "A Trip to Mexico," which ran on Feb. 16.

In that episode, Aunt Bea returns from a trip to Mexico on bad terms with her two closest friends.

Previously: Perdue, Moore air "Andy Griffith" ads.

Beverly Perdue returned to Mayberry this morning.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate bought a spot on "The Andy Griffith Show" between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Two episodes aired during that time, "Opie and the Spoiled Kid" and "The Tape Recorder."

In "Opie and the Spoiled Kid," Opie tries out some manipulation tactics Arnold told him would get him what he wanted. Arnold, who just had his dad buy him a bike, tells Opie, "Kids aren't supposed to work for their allowance."

But Opie learns his pa won't fall for the kicking and crying, and the spoiled kid gets a spanking.

On the other episode, Opie and Arnold accidentally record a prisoner's confession in "The Tape Recorder." When Opie tells his pa about the tape, he gets a lesson in due process. (The episode made the rounds on the Internet during the debate over warrantless wiretapping.) 

Perdue has advertised during "Andy Griffith" once before, during the 7 p.m. time slot on Feb. 16.

Richard Moore bought a spot during the episode aired at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9.

Update: Perdue spokesman David Kochman said that the campaign sometimes has money leftover after its major ad buys. The "Andy Griffith" ads each cost less than $200.

"Every time we place another media buy, we're looking at the cost of the spot and the audience that its reaching and evaluating what's the most effective time slots," he said. 

Three gubernatorial candidates have aired ads on WRAL.

Republican Fred Smith and Democrats Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue have all run ads since the year began on the local TV station, but they've run at slightly different times.

All three favored local and national news, with Smith sticking to an all-news diet.

Moore also bought ads during "The Dr. Phil Show," "The Price is Right," "The Young and the Restless," and "Survivor." He had special buys for the miniseries "Comanche Moon" and the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation "The Russell Girl."

He also paid $12,000 for an ad during the UNC vs. Duke game on Feb. 6, with a special request that it not be aired during the half-time break.

Perdue bought ads during "The Dr. Phil Show," "Entertainment Tonight" and "48 Hours," as well as ... wait for it ... "The Andy Griffith Show."

Dome's official response to the Orr campaign's statement.