The nature of the South is changing faster than the stereotypes are. Much of the South now looks like San Jose. Is it still southern?

I think there's a suspicion in the South of people putting on airs. You see it in most successful Southern politicians, but you also see it in someone like Richard Petty, who may be a multimillionaire stock car driver, but he's also beloved because he has a nice self-deprecatory way about him.

Barbecue is the third rail of North Carolina politics.

No one would stand for it [being the fool in the media] in a minute if you took any other group -Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, women - but somehow it's okay to do that with hillbillies.

The nature of the South is changing faster than the stereotypes are. Much of the South now looks like San Jose. Is it still southern?

The South is like my favorite pair of blue jeans. It's shrunk some, faded a bit, got a few holes in it. it just might split at the seams. It doesn't look much like it used to, but it's more comfortable, and there's probably a lot of wear left in it.

Southerners smile more than other Americans.