For nearly three hours last Monday I stood in a vacant lot waiting and watching as people lined up to see and hear former President Bill Clinton press his case to voters for electing his wife, Hillary, as the Democratic nominee.

President Clinton finally made his way into the back of an old pick up truck and began making his pitch. It was probably the same speech he made dozens of times in the weeks leading up to last week’s primary — which his wife lost convincingly to Barack Obama.

By the end of his remarks you’d think Hillary Clinton was the only candidate even remotely worthy of holding the office – exactly what the former president would have you believe.

But Sunday at dinner, our conversation at home rolled around to the campaign. We wondered aloud if any of the three remaining candidates have enough persuasive power to make any changes in Washington that would truly impact our lives.

And the sad truth is, we doubt they do.

If Hillary Clinton or, as now seems likely, Obama becomes the presidential nominee they stand the chance of taking office at a time when there is a majority of Democrats in Congress.

You would think that would give either candidate the green light to enact major changes.

But the rules in Washington, arcane as they may seem, are written to enable deadlock. The minority party – regardless of which party it is – can throw up so many roadblocks that getting anything done takes someone with the patience of Job to guide legislation through the minefield of Congress.

If McCain wins the general election in November, well, you can rest assured there won’t be much legislating going on.

And what legislation does get passed, regardless of who is president, is likely to be just a shadow of the remedy that is truly needed.

The congressional art of give and take is such that any legislation is likely to be so watered down by the time it’s passed, that it won’t have the effect its original supporters had hoped for.

Bill Clinton may have wanted everyone in the Zebuilon crowd last week to vote for his wife, but the sad hard fact of the matter is it probably won’t make that big a difference who is nominated by the Democrats come convention time in August.

Nevertheless, it was interesting to see the presidential campaign up close and personal in North Carolina.

I was too young to realize the significance of the 1976 election when a new senator from North Carolina named Jesse Helms helped Ronald Reagan defeat incumbent President Gerald Ford in the North Carolina primary.

Ford went on to win the Republican nomination, but lost the general election as part of the fallout following the Watergate scandal.

Despite the loss, Helms’ support for Reagan and his win in North Carolina that year forged the beginning of the Reagan revolution.

That election, more than 30 years ago, was the last time Tar Heel voters figured prominently in a national election.

Here’s hoping it won’t be 30 years before North Carolina voters count for something again.