Would Perdue, Moore endorse?

Will one of the Democratic gubernatorial candidates endorse in the presidential race?

With North Carolina's primary increasingly likely to be in play, the question of whether Beverly Perdue or Richard Moore will endorse Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama has come up.

For Perdue, an endorsement is a lose-lose. If she endorses either candidate, she will alienate some supporters—something the front-runner would probably not want to chance.

But there are several reasons why Moore might take that chance—and endorse Obama.

* It could shore up his support among African-American voters, an area where Perdue has been stronger in the polls.

* It would allow him to identify with the outsider "change" candidate, a role he has been playing in his campaign ads and speeches.

* It could shake up the race for governor and give him a high-profile issue to contrast himself with Perdue.

One caveat: The closer it gets to the election and the more likely either Clinton or Obama looks to win, the less value the endorsement would probably have.

Previously: Bob Orr endorses John McCain.