1. BACK TO THE FUTURE. A decade ago, all the smart people in politics said that only TV advertising mattered. You spent all your money on the tube trying to win over undecided voters. But with the country increasingly polarized, political candidates are returning to old-fashioned politics, knocking on doors, putting up yard signs and working phones to turn out their most loyal supporters. The Bush campaign in North Carolina estimates it made 1 million voter contacts, including 230,711 telephone calls in the final 72 hours. Democrats also had a massive get-out-the vote effort.

2. THE POLITICAL SCALES OF JUSTICE. The Democrats managed to reverse a trend toward electing only Republicans to appellate courts. Not knowing much about the candidates, voters had been casting their ballots for GOP candidates on the theory that they would be tougher on criminals. But the Democratic-controlled state legislature made the elections nonpartisan so that voters would no longer have party cues.

3. GOP WATCHDOG. Perhaps the most important breakthrough for Tar Heel Republicans was the apparent election of Les Merritt as state auditor. Having a Republican auditor monitor the programs of a Democratic administration should be a political gold mine for the Republicans. Think of what it has meant to have a Republican U.S. attorney -- the prosecution of a Democratic agriculture commissioner and a Democratic congressman.

4. BOWLES TOO SMART? Democratic Senate candidate Erskine Bowles is one of the most capable men ever to run for public office in North Carolina. He bought and sold companies for a living. He practically ran the federal government while Bill Clinton was sidetracked in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. But Bowles was twice rejected by voters. He reminds me of Charles Sanders, who lost the Democratic Senate primary in 1996. Sanders ran pharmaceutical giant Glaxo, was a heart surgeon, ran one of the world's best hospitals and taught at Harvard Medical School. Is it possible to be too smart?

5. THE CHARLOTTE CURSE CONTINUES. Bowles is the latest in a long line of Charlotteans who have failed to win their bids for greater offices -- a list that includes Richard Vinroot, Harvey Gantt, Sue Myrick and Eddie Knox. The last Charlotte resident to win a major state office was Cameron Morrison, elected governor in 1920 -- and the Democratic machine had to steal that election for him to win. (Former Gov. Jim Martin of Davidson, near Charlotte, carefully listed Lake Norman in Iredell County as his home.)

6. THE END OF THE REVOLVING DOOR? This Senate seat has turned over to the opposite party in every election since Democrat Sam Ervin was re-elected in 1968. You could call it the Robert Morgan-John East-Terry Sanford-Lauch Faircloth-John Edwards-Richard Burr seat. Burr has a chance of ending the revolving door because he is relatively young and the state trends Republican in federal races.

7. JIMOCRACY NO MORE? Having decisively won re-election, Democratic Gov. Mike Easley can now begin to climb out from the shadow of his predecessor, Gov. Jim Hunt.