NC - From Election Battleground State to Potential Obama "Closer" UPDATED

At The Field, Al Giordano outlines why North Carolina may be "The Closer" for Barack Obama on Election Night.

It's in Greater Charlotte and Piedmont where the votes are measurably switching from Bush '04 to Obama '08: Charlotte is home to the Bank of America and the carcass of Wachovia Bank (just bought out by Wells Fargo, a casualty the current economic crisis), plus 23 more of the Fortune 500 companies. It is second to New York as a financial capital.

The same deep worry that today afflicts financial professionals in Manhattan hangs heavily not only over Charlotte and its suburbs, but also Winston-Salem, where the old Wachovia Bank building shadowed surprisingly empty streets on a random weekday lunch hour earlier this week. (Emphasis mine)

In his piece, Giordano observes, "Hugh McColl Jr., former CEO of Bank of America, penned a column last week in the Charlotte Observer .

In 49 years of living in Charlotte, I've seldom offered my opinion in writing and never submitted a piece such as this. The condition of our country compels me. The economic disarray threatening our community and nation poses critical challenges but also presents opportunity. We can observe the presidential candidates in the crucible of crisis.

Only one of them demonstrates the needed intellect, fortitude and temperament. That is why I have decided to publicly support Barack Obama.

Hugh McColl's whole piece is well worth reading and, in Charlotte, is bigger and more important than any media or political endorsement. Giordano concludes his analysis by noting:

This isn't just a political campaign. It's a steamroller. This is why North Carolina really is in play. And the excitement in this state - from West to East - is the highest and the hungriest among the five states we visited in the past two weeks.

In other words, North Carolina - if all these great works come to fruition - could become, early on Election Night, the closer. Because if Obama wins here, it means he probably just won Virginia, too, and the Electoral College math then becomes impossible for McCain to overcome anywhere else that's still in play.

It's exciting to contemplate that this presidential race may be determined here in North Carolina and very possibly even in Charlotte itself. No one knows Charlotte like Hugh McColl. He seems to sense the importance of something happening here, do you?

Updated 10/13 - No link yet, but Dean Smith, legendary UNC basketball coach, has endorsed Obama.