Barack Obama's crowds in North Carolina have gotten bigger.

Below are crowd estimates from events held during the primary and general election by the Democratic presidential candidate.

In all, they total 194,050, although presumably some people attended more than one rally.

Before Election Season:

Durham, Nov. 1, 2007: 4,000

Before Primary (57,550):

Fayetteville, March 19: 150
Charlotte, March 19: 2,500
Greensboro, March 26: 2,400
Raleigh, April 17: 2,000
Greenville, April 17: 8,000
Wilmington, April 28: 6,000
Chapel Hill, April 28: 18,000
Winston-Salem, April 29: 2,000
Hickory, April 29: 2,500
Raleigh, May 2: 5,000
Charlotte, May 2: 9,000

On Primary Day:

Raleigh, May 6: 2,000

After Primary (133,000):

Raleigh, June 9: 500
Raleigh, Aug. 19: 2,500
Charlotte, Sept. 21: 20,000
Greensboro, Sept. 27: 20,000
Asheville, Oct. 5: 28,000
Fayetteville, Oct. 19: 10,000
Raleigh, Oct. 29: 25,000
Charlotte, Nov. 3: 25,000

John McCain has made few visits to North Carolina.

While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has spoken to crowds totaling 169,050 in almost all of the major metropolitan areas of the state, McCain has come here only a handful of times.

McCain has also held mostly smaller speeches and meetings instead of the larger rallies held by Obama, though as Election Day neared he's held more rallies.

In all, McCain has spoken to about 17,900 people.

Before Primary:

Charlotte, May 5: McCain gave a speech on foreign policy before a crowd of 200 at the Charlotte Chamber.

Greensboro, May 5: McCain gave a speech on his judicial philosophy before "a large crowd of students" at Wake Forest University.

After Primary:

Montreat, June 29: McCain met privately with Rev. Billy Graham and his son Franklin at their retreat, Little Piney Cove.

Wilmington, Oct. 14: McCain gave a speech at a rally of 2,500 at Cape Fear Community College.

Concord, Oct. 18: McCain spoke to 7,000 at a rally in Concord.

Fayetteville, Oct. 28: McCain spoke to 8,200. 

Marc Ambinder makes an interesting observation:

Who was conspicuously absent at John McCain's event in Cumberland Co. tonight?

Elizabeth Dole.

The county went for GWB in '04 -- the state hasn't gone for a Democratic candidate since Carter.

She didn't think that appearing with her nominee would help her chances to keep the Senate seat. Or she didn't go out of her way to get there.

Cindy McCain said her husband knows the personal costs of war.

Introducing him at a rally in Fayetteville today, she said that he took his stands on the Iraq war and the surge knowing that it would affect his two sons.

She pointed to a woman in the audience who had a sign with two Blue Stars, denoting that her children were in the military.

"I'm a two-star Blue Star mom too! Thank you!" she said. 

Gov. Tom Ridge then took the stage, telling the crowd of more than 8,500 that McCain would promote strength and security. He also stressed that the next president could nominate up to three Supreme Court justices.

He also noted the applause and excitement of the crowd. 

"If I didn't know better, I'd say we were at the Duke-Carolina basketball game with all this enthusiasm," he said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham then spoke, arguing that McCain would win North Carolina.  

"He's going to win North Carolina because he fits North Carolina like a glove," he said. "I'll beat Michael Phelps in swimming before Barack Obama wins North Carolina."

Signs from the McCain rally at Fayetteville:

John McCain, A Real American Hero

Raising McCain

Obama before u share the wealth, share your own

Blue Devils for McCain

Parents for Palin

Entrepreneurs for McCain

I'm Joe the Plumber

Unborn Babies for McCain

Experience Matters Vote McCain

Proud to be an American

All American Hero

You Betcha

McCain Es Nuestro Heroe

I work hard so Obama can give it to someone who doesn't

Hello, My Name is Joe

John McCain had a "Top Gun" worthy entrance in Fayetteville.

The Straight Talk Express drove straight into the Crown Coliseum floor and McCain, his wife Cindy, former Homeland Security head Tom Ridge and Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Burr stepped off.

The theme music: "Highway to the Danger Zone" from the movie "Top Gun." 

Tom Ridge argued that Barack Obama is untested and inexperienced.

Speaking to reporters before a rally for John McCain in Fayetteville, the former head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that Obama does not have insight into foreign policy because he's not had any relevant military or political experience.

He said that McCain "knows the consequences of war in ... a personal way" and "understands when anybody at Fort Bragg puts on a uniform, the whole family puts on a uniform." 

Ridge said he was surprised that former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Obama.

"It seemed to me that he was more unhappy with the Republican Party than with John McCain, which is an interesting reason to go the other way," Ridge said. "I think he's wrong on this one."

The former Pennsylvania governor has traveled with McCain there and is campaigning with him today. The two are old friends from the Congressional class of '82, the only Vietnam veterans elected that year.

Some political observers have suggested that McCain is campaigning alongside old friends this week to keep his spirits up in the face of troubling polling numbers.

"Whatever John needs me to do to help get him elected president, I'm prepared to do," Ridge said. 

John McCain's campaign got an unfortunate metaphor today.

A few minutes after landing at the Fayetteville airport, one of the lead SUVs in the Republican presidential candidate's motorcade got a flat tire.

The motorcade stopped along Airport Road near the intersection with Dunebuggy Lane, just a mile from the general aviation terminal where he had landed.

His wife Cindy, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Homeland Security head Tom Ridge were briefly spotted switching cars. It's not clear yet whether McCain was in the same SUV.

It was not the first bit of bad luck for McCain today, who had to cancel a scheduled event in Quakerstown, Penn., earlier this morning because of rain.

He instead will spend the next two and a half hours doing satellite interviews with national TV news outlets from the Hilton Garden Inn in Fayetteville.

These kinds of car trouble are routine in political campaigns, but they are especially nerve-wracking for staffers when they happen just one week out from the election.

A campaign rally will be held at the Crown Center later this afternoon.

Update: Ridge confirmed that he, the McCains and Graham were in the SUV when it got a flat tire.

"I heard a thump-thump and figured something was wrong," he said. 

John McCain will make a few impromptu stops in Fayetteville today.

The Republican presidential candidate is scheduled to arrive after 1 p.m. today at the Fayetteville Airport, but a campaign rally is not slated to start until after 4:30 p.m. (Doors open at 2 p.m., though if you're intending on going.)

The schedule was pushed back this morning. There is no advance word on where McCain may stop, although typically campaigns look for diners and barbecue joints to connect with regular folks.

Country musician Hank Williams Jr. is also scheduled to be at the rally, and there is word — so far unconfirmed by the campaign — that Kid Rock will make an appearance as well.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a regular fixture at McCain events in North Carolina, will greet him at the airport and make appearances along with him today.

Update: McCain may spend the extra time doing one-on-one interviews and/or satellite interviews with national media instead.

Dome will have live updates throughout the day on our new Twitter feed here.

John McCain is coming back to North Carolina next week.

McCain is scheduled to attend a rally in Fayetteville on Tuesday. He will be joined by country singer Hank Williams Jr.

Details on the event after the jump.

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