Tonight's split decision between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton in the North Carolina and Indiana primaries means the candidates probably will continue their battle for the Democratic presidential nomination into June.

The long slog could hurt Obama as he continues to have trouble gaining traction with rural, blue-collar voters.

Obama carried North Carolina, soaring to a solid victory on cascades of support from blacks, young people and those voters who say they have been greatly affected by the troubled economy. With 36 percent of the state reporting, he was ahead 59 percent to 39 percent.

Obama claimed victory in the Tar Heel state, speaking to thousands of cheering volunteers and supporters at N.C. State University's Reynolds Coliseum.

"They've been saying that North Carolina would be a game-changing state in this election," Obama said. "But what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington, D.C."

But Clinton carried almost two-thirds of the white Democratic vote here, and 45 percent told exit pollsters they would not support Obama in November if he's the Democratic nominee.

Clinton also was expected to win the mostly white, working-class state of Indiana, keeping her presidential chances alive.

Obama won North Carolina in part because of overwhelming turnout among black voters. CNN exit polls showed 91 percent went for Obama, a surge that could help him with a double-digit win.

"If Obama's numbers move greater than 10 percent, that's a significant underscore to the North Carolina victory and should dispel some of the notions of his electability in the fall," said Hunter Bacot, a political science professor who runs Elon University's statewide polls and has been studying the Tar Heel electorate.

At Reynolds Coliseum, Obama and his strategists put forward their case. Obama took on the doubters, saying he thought Americans could move beyond race, gender, regional and class divisions.

"I love this country too much to see it divided and distracted at this critical point in history," Obama said.

Although Obama won in North Carolina among urban, suburban and rural voters, questions remain about the breadth of his rural white support. Obama acknowledged today that he has not had strong success luring working-class whites away from his opponent.

"They're the best established brand name in Democratic politics, maybe in politics overall," he said of Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. "They've been on the scene for 20 years. They're not going to go down easy."

Polls showed that voters concerned about the economy tended to vote for Obama, while those who wanted experience turned to Clinton.

"I think one of the main issues is energy costs," said Rick Flynn, 50, of Chapel Hill. "At least he had the decency to not jump on the bandwagon of cutting the gas tax for three months. I mean, what a joke. Not only is it a joke, it takes $18 billion out of the treasury."

Others like the idea of a former First Lady in the White House.

"With Hillary Clinton it's buy one, get one free," said Revathy Rao, 44, a teacher's assistant from Chapel Hill. "I'm sure Mr. Clinton will step in and help with the economic recovery and everything. Obama looks a little bit like a dreamer to me."

In North Carolina, Obama carried college graduates and non-college graduates, according to CNN's exit polls. He carried voters with incomes under $50,000 and those over $50,000. He also carried women.

Clinton, meanwhile, carried gun owners.

Obama has had problems with working-class white voters, and he was still looking for blue-collar credibility as late as Tuesday afternoon, when he waltzed into a downtown Raleigh bar, ordered a Pabst Blue Ribbon and tipped bartender Jay Winfrey $18.

"I think he forgot his change," Winfrey joked.

Crowds gathered as word of the Obama sighting spread.

Earlier in the day, Obama ate a $6.95 omelet at an Indiana restaurant and told reporters Clinton has done well because blue-collar voters are familiar with her.

"It's really a mixed bag," Obama said. "There've been some states where we have won the blue collar vote. Wisconsin. We won it in Iowa. We won it in Minnesota. Then there are other states where we've not done so well, mainly because people are much more familiar with Sen. Clinton and President Clinton and their track record."

Only a third of Clinton voters in North Carolina said they would be satisfied if Obama won the nomination, and nearly 40 percent said they would vote for presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, according to exit polls.

Seventy percent of Obama voters, meanwhile, said they would turn their support to Clinton if she should be nominated.

Exit polls show Tar Heel Democrats valued change more than experience, that they found Obama more honest, that they thought Obama shared their values and that they believed he would do better in handling the ailing economy.

Tougher to measure among voters was the idealist vs. pragmatist split. Many Democrats had November on their minds Tuesday, and for good reason. McCain signaled his plan for North Carolina by making visits Monday on the eve of the primary.

Take the father-and-son pair voting in Durham. Gerald Rubin Jr., 20, voted for the first time Tuesday because, he said, he feels inspired by Obama.

"He gives hope to the nation," Rubin said.

His father, meanwhile, cast his ballot with an eye to the Democratic party's future.

"I just think maybe Obama's time might not be now," said Gerald Rubin Sr, 49. "Maybe come the general election, he might be burned by McCain."

The question now is how long the contest will go on. Tuesday's results extended Obama's lead in the delegate count.

"We have a lot to celebrate tonight and I think the Clinton folks have a lot to think about," said David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist. "There's no question we're closer to the finish line. From this point on Sen. Clinton would have to win close to 70 percent of the remaining delegates. That's a very tall order."