Mitt Romney is doing his best to seem like a Southerner, but he joked Monday that his lack of knowledge of at least one topic is lacking.
"I am looking forward to going hunting with you sometime," Romney told comedian Jeff Foxworthy during an appearance in Mobile, Ala. "And you can actually show me which end of the rifle to point."
The attempt at levity came after a few awkward moments from a candidate trying hard to seem less like the wealthy Northeasterner that he is, particularly before Tuesday primaries in Alabama and Mississippi. Romney was mocked for his attempts to sound Southern in Mississippi last week, where he insisted he likes to eat grits.
He also talked up Southern food on Monday, when he said he ate catfish for the second time and liked it, despite previously saying he wasn't a fan.
Past statements Romney has made about hunting have been similarly awkward. In his 2008 presidential run and again in 2012, Romney has insisted that he is a lifelong hunter. During the last election, he was mocked when he explained away a low number of actual hunting trips -- he had been on two -- by saying he hunted "varmints" all of his life.
Ahead of the 2012 election, Romney is still asked about that hunting gaffe, but has taken pains to boost his gun rights bona fides. The campaign said on Feb. 29 that Romney owns two shotguns, both purchased after the 2008 election.
"I'm not the great hunter," he said when asked about "varmint" hunting during a January debate in South Carolina. "I'm not a serious hunter, but I must admit -- I guess I enjoy the sport and when I get invited, I’m delighted to be able to go hunting."
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