INDIANAPOLIS -- Senator Barack Obama won a decisive victory in the North Carolina primary, righting his presidential bid after the rockiest stretch of his campaign, while Senator Hillary Clinton eked out a narrow win in Indiana to keep her campaign alive.
Obama moved closer to clinching the Democratic nomination, adding to his increasingly strong advantage in pledged delegates and in the overall popular vote with just six contests remaining over the next month — and none likely to radically reshape the race.
In North Carolina, Obama led Clinton 56 percent to 42 percent last night with 99 percent of precincts reporting. The win, in the largest state left to vote, was the first clear sign Obama has survived his rough few weeks, caused largely by his controversial former pastor, and it dashed Clinton’s hopes of a game-changing sweep.
‘‘You know, some were saying that North Carolina would be a game-changer in this election,’’ Obama told 3,000 supporters last night in Raleigh. ‘‘But today, what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington, D.C.’’
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