Rob Christensen, Raleigh News and Observer

As far as I can recall, Phillip Gilfus is the first Democratic National Committee member to address me as "sir."

Jennifer Steinhauer, The New York Times

Well before Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain rose to the top of their parties, a partisan shift was under way at the local and state level. For more than three years starting in 2005, there has been a reduction in the number of voters who register with the Republican Party and a rise among voters who affiliate with Democrats and, almost as often, with no party at all.

Though the implications of the changing landscape for Obama and McCain are far from clear, the registration numbers may signal the beginning of a move away from Republicans that could affect local, state and national politics over several election cycles. Already, there has been a sharp reversal for Republicans in statehouses and governors' mansions.

In case you missed it, Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory met for the first general election debate on Saturday, and viewers were able to see clear differences when it comes to our kids’ education.

The headline from the Charlotte Observer said it all: "McCrory and Perdue differ on vouchers," as Bev strongly declared her opposition to private school vouchers, which would take millions of dollars out of our public schools.

This was just the first of five scheduled debates, more than in any modern gubernatorial election in North Carolina, and we’re sure to see more sharp distinctions between the candidates each time.

Click here to watch the full debate.

Enloe Teen Democrats holding their certificates of full membership in the organization. Club president Peter Alfredson organized the chapter, one of the largest in the state.

Among White Voters…White voters are key to a Republican victory, but while Bush took the white vote 58 percent to Kerry’s 41 percent in 2004, McCain only has an advantage of two points among white voters. [LCG Election Monitor Blog, 6/2/08]

Among Hispanic Voters…Two out of three Hispanics call themselves Democrats. A December Pew Hispanic Center survey found “57% of Hispanic registered voters now call themselves Democrats or say they lean to the Democratic Party, while just 23% align with the Republican Party -- meaning there is now a 34-percentage-point gap in partisan affiliation among Latinos.” [Pew Hispanic Center, 12/06/07]

North Carolina Democrats, led by Kara Hollingsworth, April Padilla and Phillip Gilfus, called on President Bush during his visit to Fort Bragg this week to honor his contract with our military by supporting Democrat Senator Jim Webb’s 21st Century GI Bill.

The bipartisan initiative expands educational opportunities to all members of the military who have served on active duty for at least three months since September 11.

President Bush has threatened to veto the measure.

This is another example of how Republican leadership in Washington has failed our troops and their families at every turn – whether it’s a plan to stabilize Iraq in order to safely withdraw our troops, substandard living conditions in their barracks, providing proper body armor when they are sent to war or offering full health and educational benefits they earn on the battlefield when they return home.

By MIKE BAKER, Associated Press

More than four times as many blacks have registered to vote in North Carolina during the first few months of 2008 as four years ago, a sign that bodes well for Sen. Barack Obama in the state's May 6 Democratic presidential primary.

There has also been a boom in voter registrations overall across age, race, gender and party affiliation, according to the North Carolina state board of elections. And, even though the traditional registration period closes Friday, the numbers may continue to climb if voters take advantage of North Carolina's new same-day registration law.