Hillary Clinton's campaign really ended in North Carolina.

In a post-mortem in the Washington Post today, an unnamed Clinton adviser says that Barack Obama's 15-point win here sealed her fate:

Whatever slim hopes Clinton had for an improbable comeback died with the disappointing results in the last two big primaries of the campaign -- a narrower-than-hoped-for victory in Indiana and a double-digit loss in North Carolina -- and the commentary that accompanied them. When NBC's Tim Russert flatly declared the Democratic race over around midnight, one adviser recalled, "the air came out of the room."

The piece notes that Clinton soon pulled her negative ads and stopped criticizing Obama, and there was "a sense of resignation within the campaign."

Barack Obama has been projected to win North Carolina.

But Indiana still remains too close to call.

That leaves two options for tonight's election results.

If Clinton wins Indiana and Obama North Carolina:

Nothing changes. Both candidates were expected to win those states, both will claim victory in their own ways, and the national press moves on to West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon. Clinton is still an outside chance for the nomination.

If Obama wins Indiana and North Carolina:

Less of a game-changer. Obama argues he has won over the elusive blue-collar vote in a state favored for Clinton while hanging on to college students and black voters. Clinton rebuts that Indiana has not gone for a Democrat since 1964 so it doesn't really count.

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.

Hillary Clinton may be in Indiana, but she's not far from North Carolina's NASCAR heart.

The Democratic presidential candidate visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tuesday morning to examine Indy car driver Sarah Fisher's blue and white race car. Clinton them embarked on a dialogue rich in racing metaphors, reports Bill Douglas of McClatchy's D.C. bureau.

"We need to get on the track in America and move towards the finish line," she said.

Continuing the racing theme Clinton pointed out that Democrat starts with D and Republican starts with R and D on a car stands for drive and R stands for reverse. America doesn't want to go backwards, she said.

"Just so you know, we don't have reverse in this car," Fisher said standing beside the shiny, sleek vehicle. (She made the same joke in Wake County.)

Examining the car that can hit speeds of 240 mph, Clinton told Fisher, "Gosh, that's amazing."

Clinton said the type of technology that goes into Indy cars could help lead America to energy independence.

Hillary Clinton spent more time in North Carolina than Barack Obama.

According to a tally by Slate magazine, Clinton had 24 stops in the state over 10 days, while Obama had 15 stops over nine days.

Both candidates spent more time in Indiana.

Clinton made 37 stops over 14 days visiting with Hoosier voters, while Obama made 25 stops over 16 days. 

Still, Clinton had emphasized smaller venues in both states than Obama, who has been on a "steady diet of large rallies," according to Politico.

Dome loved Choose-Your-Own Adventure books as a child.

We like to think of tonight's Democratic primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton along the same lines. Here's our take on the possibilities:

If Clinton wins Indiana and Obama North Carolina:

Nothing changes. Both candidates were expected to win those states, both will claim victory in their own ways, and the national press moves on to West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon. Clinton is still an outside chance for the nomination.

If Clinton wins Indiana and North Carolina:

A game-changer. Clinton argues she is the only candidate who is electable, while some superdelegates begin to worry that the damage from Rev. Jeremiah Wright, etc., is too great. Obama is red-faced before thousands at Reynolds Coliseum.

If Obama wins Indiana and North Carolina:

Less of a game-changer. Obama argues he has won over the elusive blue-collar vote in a state favored for Clinton while hanging on to college students and black voters. Clinton rebuts that Indiana has not gone for a Democrat since 1964 so it doesn't really count.

If Obama wins Indiana and Clinton North Carolina:

Mass confusion. Both campaigns charter last-minute flights to the other state. Dan Rather comes out of retirement to coin a metaphor for the situation involving corn cakes and griddles but no one understands what he's talking about.

If Mike Gravel wins anywhere:

Hysteria. Reporters wander around in a daze. Pollsters jump out second-story windows. Bloggers say they saw it coming all along. Plagues of locusts swarm the earth. A third of Democratic voters turn red. Mike Munger reveals he is the anti-Christ.

North Carolina, once seen as a make-it-or-break-it state in the Democratic presidential nomination fight will likely take a back seat to Indiana, Rob Christensen reports.

The reason is that polls suggest that Indiana is competitive, while North Carolina is not.

Sen. Barack Obama holds a 16-point lead in North Carolina, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has a two-point lead in Indiana, according to an average of polls compiled by the political Web site Real Clear Politics.

North Carolina's second-fiddle status is already evident. Obama and Clinton have each spent only one day in North Carolina this month. The state Democratic Party canceled a debate proposed for Raleigh on Sunday after Obama declined to participate.

Hillary Clinton will spend more time in Indiana this week.

The Democratic presidential candidate will be in North Carolina on Thursday, touring Jacksonville, Fayetteville and Asheville with retired Gen. Hugh Shelton, Barb Barrett reports.

That matches her campaign tactic of hitting rural areas and military bases.

But with Pennsylvania's primary being held today, Clinton is spending more time focusing on the other major upcoming primary in Indiana.

She'll be stumping in Indiana on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, pitching "Solutions for the American Economy" in Bloomington, Gary, Fort Wayne, East Chicago and South Bend.

Hillary Clinton will campaign in North Carolina.

According to an analysis by the Associated Press, the Democratic presidential candidate expects Indiana, which also holds its primary on May 6, as the major battleground, while North Carolina will be more favorable to Barack Obama:

North Carolina's primary is also May 6, and Clinton officials expect Obama to win there because most of the state's Democratic voters are either black or very liberal. But they say she will compete there anyway to pick off delegates in congressional districts in the eastern and western parts of the state.

Dome thinks the statement that North Carolina Democrats are "either black or very liberal" to be questionable, but that could be the fault of the AP reporter, not Clinton.