But what will the neighbors say?

A delicious dispatch from the “I’m perfect, you’re not” view of the universe department. . . .

As a prelude to North Carolina’s May 6 Democratic presidential primary, state voters recently were asked about prejudices. As related by the News & Observer in Raleigh, here’s what the poll found:

A whopping number -- 91% -- said race would not affect their political decisions, but 54% said they knew someone who would not cast a ballot for a black candidate.

A candidate’s gender, 79% said, would make no difference to them, but 63% said they knew someone who would not vote for a woman.

The survey by Elon University also looked ahead to the fall election, which will feature Republican John McCain trying to become the oldest person elected to a first presidential term.

No problem, 66% said; age would not be a factor in their vote. But 44% said they knew someone who would not support someone they viewed as “too old.”

Nice to know there are so many open-minded folks in the Tar Heel State. Too bad about so many of their neighbors, though.

About 2012 ...

Most Democrats remain squarely focused on the matters at hand: Who will win their party’s presidential nomination, and when will that be determined?

A cadre of party leaders, however, is looking down the road, mulling over another conundrum: How can they avoid a repeat of the free-for-all atmosphere that surrounded the setting of this year’s caucus and primary schedule?

Elaine Kamarck, a longtime party pro, is one of those whose attention already is turned toward 2012 (only partially, to be sure -- as a Democratic National Committee member, she’s a superdelegate backing Hillary Clinton).

Kamarck traveled to Washington for a gathering with journalists to discuss how a nomination calendar for the next presidential campaign might come together more easily.

Starting from the assumption that the immovable objects and irresistible forces in the process, Iowa and New Hampshire, retain their starting-line roles, Kamarck said she’d like to see definite dates decreed for these contests far earlier than in this cycle.

At the least, she said, there’s strong motivation from many quarters to prevent the votes in Iowa and New Hampshire from again abutting so closely the holiday season. (That, in and of itself, would be a gift for all concerned.)

On the matter of “front-loading” -- the ever-growing and increasingly chaotic push by states large and small to schedule their caucuses and primaries as early as possible -- Kamarck said the way the current Democratic fight has played out ought to curb such efforts.

She predicted her party would take further steps to entice states not to jump the gun.

Already, those that schedule their contests in the campaign’s last stages receive “bonus” delegates to the national convention. For the 2012 race, she said, states willing to similarly wait could see their delegates upped by 30% or 40%.

Kamarck for the most part steered clear of assessing the ongoing contest. But she did say she wouldn’t be surprised if the fight went to the convention floor.

Obama out-Foxed?

Barack Obama , who has promised that as president he would meet unconditionally with such U.S. foes as the heads of Venezuela and Iran, sat down for an interview with Chris Wallace for “Fox News Sunday.”

The session was taped while the Illinois senator campaigned in Marion, Ind., for the Hoosier State’s May 6 primary.

Just as many conservatives view CNN as liberal-leaning, many Democrats see Fox News as a conservative enemy.

According to Wallace, more than two years ago Obama promised to appear on his program. When, week after week, the Obama camp declined, blaming scheduling conflicts, as a promotional gimmick the program began a weekly Obama Clock showing how long it had been since the promise.

Obama’s reluctance to appear on Fox News has been the subject of numerous online discussions and comments wondering how strong a president he would be if he was afraid to meet with an American TV anchor.

The Fox Obama Clock will stop at 772 days.

In a website story, Fox News tried to credit its clock with finally forcing Obama to appear. The story quotes Wallace as saying, “It may have been obnoxious, but it was also effective.”

The fact is, the change in attitude may be more attributable to internal Obama political calculations about Pennsylvania’s voters, who gave his opponent, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a nearly 10-point win Tuesday.

Despite differences with Fox -- which include her husband (the ex-president) growing visibly livid under questioning by Wallace during a 2006 interview -- she has made a point of appearing on all the networks.

She was last questioned by Wallace on Feb. 3.

McCain wins!

With all the attention on the Democratic candidates, it went almost unnoted how the Republicans voted in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, clearly won his party’s backing, pulling 73% of the Republican vote.

Who got the rest? Ron Paul picked up about 16%; ex-Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, no longer in the race, took 12%.

Actor’s undying affection

Sen. Barack Obama does come from the Chicago school of politics, where historically voter turnout has been unusually high for residents of certain graveyards. And he has been unusually successful raising money. Now he’s raising money by raising the dead.

The Times’ campaign finance writer Dan Morain found Obama campaign records reporting a $50 donation by Roy Scheider, who lists his occupation as actor and his home as Sag Harbor, N.Y.

Remember him from many great movies, including “The French Connection” and “Jaws,” and the immortal line “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”?

According to campaign records, Scheider made the donation March 10.

Trouble is, Scheider died exactly one month before that, on Feb. 10, at age 75. Just another example of Hollywood’s undying affection for Democrats.

Obama recently reported other donations from breathing actors: Sam Waterston, $2,300; Lynn Redgrave, $600; Sydney Poitier, $250; and Treat Williams, $100.

Scheider was unavailable for comment.

However, informed of the deceased donor’s generosity, an Obama campaign spokesman said that it had come under a monthly credit card donation program and that it would be halted this month.

The $50 March gift would be donated to another cause, the spokesman said.

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Excerpted from The Times’ political blog, Top of the Ticket, at www.latimes.com/ topoftheticket.