>NC will go Obama. None of the swing states really matter--all Obama has to do is get Ohio and he's won. IMHO, this is mostly just news organizations trying to attract viewers.

There's only one true test (that I could come up with) to know whether you are in a swing state is to look across the border. If the neighborhood is shifting left and right, or up and down (depending on your visual orientation) while you're watching, there you are.