Tim Boyum spotted a few more state pols in the crowd.

On his Political Connections blog, the News 14 Carolina reporter notes that he spotted state Sen. Vern Malone, Reps. Verla Insko and Susan Fisher and NAACP president William Barber in the audience for a Barack Obama speech at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.

Update: James Romoser spied state Sen. Linda Garrou too. 

Tim Boyum spotted former Gov. Jim Hunt at a rally for ... Barack Obama.

On his Political Connections blog, the News 14 Carolina reporter writes that he saw Hunt at a rally on Wilson, and Obama pointed him out in the audience.

"Is it an endorsement or just someone who wanted to see the event?" he wrote.

An Obama endorsement would be highly unexpected.

Many of Hunt's former top staffers and supporters are serving on Hillary Clinton's campaign committee, he has strong ties to Bill Clinton as a former Southern governor and he recently appeared with his wife at a Clinton rally in Wilson.

A nod from Hunt would be one of the five endorsements that would matter. (U.S. Reps. Mel Watt and David Price are for Obama, while Gov. Mike Easley is for Clinton. Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards is not likely to endorse.)

It's also possible that Hunt wants to remain neutral and he attended the Obama rally to counteract the impression he gave by going to a Clinton rally. 

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle is keeping his mouth shut.

At a press conference today, the Barack Obama surrogate said that he has talked with Gov. Mike Easley, whom he has known since they were both attorneys general.

But he would not reveal what Easley's thinking. The North Carolina governor is a superdelegate to the national convention, but he has not revealed who he is supporting.

Tim Boyum of News 14 Carolina pressed Doyle on the question again later. 

"He says they have talked about the presidential race but would not say an ounce of what was in that conversation," Boyum writes on his blog.

Tim Boyum says a few senators joined the House today.

On his Political Connections blog, the News 14 Carolina reporter says that it wasn't just House members in the chamber today for Thomas Wright's expulsion:

Curiosity apparently got the best of the Senate as well. At least 10 Senators sat in the back of the House Chamber at one time or another. That included Majority Leader Tony Rand, Sen. Brock, and Sen. Jenkins among others.

That would be Sen. Andrew Brock, a Mocksville Republican, and Sen. Clark Jenkins, a Tarboro Democrat.

One of North Carolina's superdelegates was also at the Barack Obama event in Fayetteville this morning.

But don't jump to any conclusions.

News 14 Carolina's Tim Boyum has the scoop on his Political Connections blog:

Jeanette Council, who is Cumberland County's only superdelegate, was also on hand. She says she's still undecided. In fact, she said her feet are firmly set right in the middle. My guess is she'll get a call from the Clinton campaign for any events in the state!

That leaves North Carolina's 17 superdelegates split: Four for Obama, one for Hillary Clinton and 12 undecided.

The Black Caucus will meet tomorrow to discuss Rep. Thomas Wright, reports Tim Boyum of News 14 Carolina:

The Legislative Black Caucus is meeting tomorrow and supposedly Rep. Wright is on their agenda. There have been reports some members want to ask their colleagues to vote for censure instead of kicking him out of office.

Tim Boyum notes that more young voters are registering.

In a post on his Political Connections blog, the News 14 Carolina reporter writes that 64,413 people registered to vote from Jan. 1 to Feb. 11, according to the State Board of Elections. Of that, 25,811 were Democrats, 20,447 were unaffiliated and 18,125 were Republicans.

Elections Director Gary Bartlett says that at least 60% of those are under 40 years old and a huge chunk are in the 18-30 range.

Bartlett says the state has never seen young people represent the largest chunk of new voters. Usually it is the opposite.

Based on his visits to college campuses, Boyum says he thinks the new voters are registering for the presidential election. 

Tim Boyum thinks Democrats may be fighting over minor differences.

In a post on his Political Connections blog, the News 14 Carolina reporter writes that the Republican candidates for president have much different plans, but are fighting more polite campaigns.

Meantime, Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who are closer on policy, have been fighting hard.

They're not the only ones, Boyum writes:

In North Carolina's race for governor, there are clear differences with the Republicans yet they do little bickering with each other in the press (although that appears to be changing a bit). On the Democratic side, they have very similar beliefs yet spend most of their time arguing in the press about a theater that sits in a rural county that many voters probably don't even know exists. That campaign is close to getting nasty.

Boyum is in South Carolina reporting on the primary.

The most unlikely political metaphor Dome has come across in a long while.

From Tim Boyum's Political Connections blog, where he is checking in with Elon University pollster Hunter Bacot:

He says if Edwards doesn't get 20% it's pretty much night night for his campaign unless he can somehow remarkably win in South Carolina (where he did win in 2004 but is polling poorly now).

Tim Boyum's not a fan of entrance polls.

On his Political Connections blog, the News 14 Carolina reporter wonders about their value:

So, if exit polls weren't bad enough in some people's eyes on election day, we are now seeing entrance polls for the Iowa caucus because exit polls are worthless.

Then again, entrance polls are probably worthless too.