This is a funny interview that a reporter from the Charlotte Observor had with John Edwards, the candidate who is supposedly going to appeal to Southerners and rural voters:

“Last week, Sen. John Edwards flew to Iowa to lay out his plan to revive rural America. He talked about growing up in tiny Robbins, N.C., where his father was a mill worker. But I wondered: How much of a country boy is Johnny Edwards today? So I turned on my tape recorder in Ottumwa, and asked the ex-trial lawyer, now senator-turned-presidential-candidate, some questions.

Q. Have you done any farming yourself?
A. No I shouldn’t say never: When I was a young kid, we’d go sometimes to pull tobacco and stuff. But I’ve never done any serious farming.
Q. Would you call yourself a NASCAR fan?
A. I would call myself somebody who’s interested in NASCAR, yeah.
Q. You don’t follow the weekly races?
A. No, but I don’t follow anything except politicking.
Q. Do you hunt?
A. I used to hunt a lot. Haven’t hunted in years.
Q. Fish?
A. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I haven’t fished in years either. Just (whispers) no time.
Q. Do you own a gun?
A. Not today. I have in the past.

I continued the interview in Washington, after “Tar Heel Thursday,” Edwards’ weekly meeting with constituents who happen to be in Our Nation’s Capital.

Q. Are you a country music fan?
A. (Laughs) I have in the past been a country music fan.
Q. You said you had a gun in the past. How long ago was that?
A. When I was growing up. I haven’t had a gun in – you mean personally? – in years. I’d have to figure out when.
Q. What kind of gun was it?
A. Get out of here (laughs).
Q. People want to know these things.
A. Yeah, I know. You want to know these things. (Laughter from his staff as Edwards departs to return to the Senate).”