When the candidates can't come to woo voters, they send surrogates.

Today, several prominent African-Americans will tour the state for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown of Florida and Edolphus Towns of New York and actress Erika Alexander will make stops in Lillington, Fayetteville and Lumberton. Another group -- Rev. Marcia Dyson, Trenton, N.J., Mayor Doug Palmer and U.S. Virgin Islands official Kevin Rodriguez, will tour Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Concord and Monroe.

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is sending Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, to Charlotte today and Sunday, Monroe on Sunday, and Fayetteville and Wilmington on Monday.

In the best-case scenario, such surrogates are popular enough to draw a big crowd. At other times, voters are left wondering, "Who?"

Here's a score sheet so far:

SPOUSES: Michelle Obama has hit a few big cities; Bill Clinton is camping out in small towns. Michelle Obama drew 5,700 in Raleigh, but Bill Clinton is a superstar in Bubbaland. Advantage: Clinton.

FORMER SITCOM STARS: Obama sent Tatyana Ali, best known as Ashley on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Clinton countered with Erika Alexander, who was Pam on "The Cosby Show." Ali had a bigger role, but Alexander was on a better show. No advantage.

NEW JERSEY MAYORS: Obama dispatched Newark Mayor Cory Booker; Clinton counts on Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer. Booker has a higher profile among New Yorkers, while Palmer is president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. This isn't the Garden State. Disadvantage: both.

A COLBERT COMEBACK

He's not running for president anymore, but John Edwards, left, scored a win Thursday on "The Colbert Report," representing what the show characterized as this year's most important voter: white men. See it at www.dome.newsobserver.com.

(NEWS & OBSERVER STAFF REPORTS)