Obama takes resounding victory in N.C.

However, the races in both states were dominated in the final days by Clinton's call for a summertime suspension of the federal gasoline tax, an issue that she created after scoring a victory in the Pennsylvania primary two weeks ago.

Obama ridiculed the proposal as a stunt that would cost jobs, not the break for consumers she claimed.

In his speech Tuesday night, he said Americans "aren't looking for more spin; they're looking for honest answers."

Obama begins day ahead
Obama, an often-inspiring 46-year-old freshman senator, stunned the political establishment by winning 11 consecutive contests in February. He appeared poised to defeat Clinton, who was once considered the all-but-inevitable nominee. But Clinton, while on the cusp of elimination, won major primaries in March and April.

Obama's failure to lock up the nomination has led to growing doubts about whether he can attract the white, working-class voters needed for Democrats to win in November.

He began the day with 1,746 delegates, to 1,611 for Clinton, out of 2,025 needed for the nomination, according to NBC's national delegate count.

Indiana had 72 delegates at stake, and Clinton projected confidence about the results by arranging a primary-night appearance in Indianapolis.

North Carolina had 115 delegates at stake, and Obama countered with his rally in Raleigh.

Race for voters, superdelegates
Obama leads Clinton in delegates won in primaries and caucuses. Despite his defeat two weeks ago, he has steadily whittled away at her advantage in superdelegates in the past two weeks and trails 273 to 254, according to NBC News' superdelegate count.

Interactive Superdelegate sampling Here's a look at some of the Democratic Convention's 796 superdelegates.

Clinton saved her candidacy with her win in Pennsylvania, and she campaigned aggressively in Indiana in hopes of denying Obama a victory next door to his home state of Illinois. Indiana is home to large numbers of blue-collar workers who have been attracted to the former first lady, and she sought to use her call for a federal gas tax holiday to draw them and other economically pinched voters closer.

Inevitably, the issue quickly took on larger dimensions.

Obama said it symbolized a candidacy consisting of "phony ideas, calculated to win elections instead of actually solving problems."

Clinton retorted, "Instead of attacking the problem, he's attacking my solutions," and ran an ad in the campaign's final hours that said she "gets it."

To a large extent, the gasoline tax eclipsed the controversy surrounding Wright. After saying several weeks earlier he could not disown Wright for his fiery sermons, Obama did precisely that when the minister embarked on a media tour.

At a news conference in North Carolina last week, Obama equated Wright's comments with "giving comfort to those who prey on hate."

The balance of the primary schedule includes West Virginia, with 28 delegates on May 13; Oregon with 52 and Kentucky with 51 a week later; Puerto Rico with 55 delegates on June 1, and Montana with 16 and South Dakota with 15 on June 3.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican nomination already in hand, campaigned in North Carolina and assailed Obama for his vote against confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts.

"Senator Obama in particular likes to talk up his background as a lecturer on law, and also as someone who can work across the aisle to get things done," McCain said. "But ... he went right along with the partisan crowd, and was among the 22 senators to vote against this highly qualified nominee."

Clinton also voted against Roberts, but McCain, as if often the case, focused his remarks on Obama.

Obama's campaign responded that the Republican would pick judges who represent a threat to abortion rights and to McCain's own legislation to limit the role of money in political campaigns.

Picking the president: The candidates Click to visit that candidate's MSNBC page or click the XML symbol for an RSS feed. John McCain                Barack Obama

MORE FROM DECISION '08

Decision '08 Section Front

Obama, in London, meets Brown McCain hits key states in shadow of Obama trip NYT: Bush, McCain diverging in foreign policy? McCain urges China to free Tibetans Analysis: Echoes of Clinton's campaign in race Nonprofits walk fine line on political activity Bush policy shifts leave Obama without a foil Newsweek: Factchecking McCain's Viagra moment Brownstein: The risk of Obama rapture Newsweek: McCain and Obama miss the real crisis Decision '08 Section Front   Add Decision '08 headlines to your news reader: