Tim Funk in the Charlotte Observer - Talkin' to a country boy candidate:
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.What the ...? Sounds like a trial lawyer to me.
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).
Well, at least he didn't tell us about putting Astroturf in his pickup truck so he could entertain the ladies.
