North Carolina parted with its neighbors in 2008 to deliver a surprising Southern win for President Obama. North Carolina has gained 1 million new residents since 2000 — a rarity in the South, where many states are losing population. (Lisa Mascaro / Los Angeles Times)“It does make things murkier,” said Art Pope, a wealthy North Carolina donor who is often aligned with the billionaire Koch brothers. He blames Democrats for seizing on the issue to distract from GOP economic gains. “They saw it as an opportunity to muddy up the message of what has been a very positive record.”

Source: Los Angeles Times October 12, 2016 16:13 UTC