But the trend was so insignificant, it almost doesn't matter. NC in my opinion is just too much out of reach for democrats. Obama BARELY won in 2008, and the state has slowly started snapping back to the GOP. While it will never be as republican as it was in 2004, I think it is a GOP leaning state (just like Virginia is a Democrat leaning state).
Obama won Indiana by a greater margin than NC, and in 2012 he did almost nothing there and still barely lost it.
Also, hard to forget about the fire-bombing that did no favors, and Hurricane Matthew did a number on Election Day turnout.