A head to head comparison of the 2008 North Carolina General Election gives us an idea of the break down of the voters.    

Barack Obama received 2,142,651 (49.7%) votes, beating John McCain who gained 2,128,474 (49.4%) by 14,177 votes in North Carolina.

Barack Obama won 67 counties whereas John McCain won 33 counties in the total of the 100 counties in the State of North Carolina.

2008 General Election Barack Obama Popular Vote Count Contributed by North Carolina (NC)

Presidential General Elections

During the 2008 General elections, over 131M total number of votes were cast. Barack Obama got 69,448,278 (69.4 Million) over John McCain's 61,739,059 (61.7 Million). He won the popular vote by 7,709,219 (7.7 Million). His victory in the State of North Carolina (with 2,142,651 votes) represents 3% of his popular vote victory. The remaining 49 states contributed to the remaining 97% popular votes victory.

Top 15 Counties in Primary Elections vs General Elections

All Candidates (General Elections)

These 15 counties play an important role in these Primary elections. If a candidate, can get a sizable majority in the largest counties (Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Forsyth), it becomes very difficult to win majorities in the smaller counties without voter outreach and increased voter participation in them.

Top 15 Counties Comparison in Primary Elections vs General Elections

General Elections
Barack Obama

General Elections
John McCain

Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Forsyth, Four of the larger counties, voted in favor of Barack Obama giving him a 225k vote advantage. Cabarrus, New Hanover, are another larger counties, voted in favor of John McCain giving him a 15k vote advantage. However, Barack Obama's steady marginal wins in the more popular counties (like Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, and more) were enough to maintain that lead over John McCain, making him gain an upper hand in the State of North Carolina.

Related References: 2016 North Carolina Primary Election Story, 2016 North Carolina General Election Story, 2020 North Carolina Primary Election Story, 2020 North Carolina General Election Story, 2012 North Carolina General Election Story