Public Policy Polling: Obama by seven in North Carolina

Public Policy Polling has released a poll of 1,200 likely voters in North Carolina conducted on October 18 and October 19. This is a goodly sized sample (+/-2.8%), and it reveals Obama is extending his lead in the Tarheel State:

Obama 51
McCain 44

Obama is dominating the Democratic vote with 82% and the independent vote by 51-33. This is particularly auspicious given this report from First Read:

As of this morning, over 340,000 North Carolinians have cast general election ballots. . . . Registered Democrats make up 55% of those who have already cast votes for the North Carolina general election, while registered Republicans account for less than one in three ballots already cast.