Not to quibble but here are NC population stats:
1960: 4.5 million
1970: 5.0 million
1980: 5.8 million
1990: 6.6 million
2000: 8.0 million
2010: 9.6 million
The increase of 18.5% from 2000 to 2010 is significantly higher than the USA’s overall growth of 9.7% but it may not be accurate to say that the majority are new arrivals. In addition, not every new arrival is a lefty. In fact, many who went to NC did so to escape the liberal hellholes of the north. In many ways, NC is a microcosm of the US since it has a mountainous region, the Piedmont, a plains-type region and a coastline. It’s also a microcosm politically for the reasons you, we and others have pointed out. The problem, as always, is that leftists tend to congregate in urban areas and in doing so have a disproportionately louder voice.
Let us not forget that California, of all places, was among the first to ban gay marriage, legal challenges notwithstanding. If and when NC voters enact a ban the ‘redneck’ criticism may be predictable and inevitable but by now they are one of several states to take on the issue.
The secret is that people in the South WANT Yankees to believe the dumb-hick stereotypes as it prevents too many of said Yankees from invading and bringing even more of their nonsense with them.
I also understand that the eastern coastal third of the state is much more liberal than mainland central and west. Excepting large cities and university centers, of course, which always trend liberal.