Barack Obama is supposed to be quite the pickup basketball player, and he’s putting quite the head fake on John McCain in North Carolina.

It’s good strategy. Obama has the money and the grassroots organization to make the Republicans worry – at least for now – about how much time and money to spend here.

Every dollar and every hour the Republicans do spend in North Carolina helps Obama nationally.

Even better, Obama’s foray here is another sign that his success so far was not based just on inspiration. His campaign also has brains.

The post-mortems on the Democratic race expose the internal reasons why he won and Clinton lost:

• His campaign was loyal, methodical and disciplined. Hers was rife with dissent, division and disagreement.
  
• His campaign played to win in 50 states – and, more to the point, in 435 congressional districts. He targeted his efforts to win delegates. The Clinton campaign was groping in the dark.

And it is clear now how big North Carolina was. Obama’s big win here – early enough in the evening to dominate the news while the Indiana vote was delayed – delivered the final momentum-killer to Clinton.

I’m still dubious that North Carolina will be in play come November. If it is, Obama will be President.

But this is good for Democrats. The bigger the field Obama can force McCain to play on, the better Obama’s chances to win the White House.

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