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Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the keynote speaker at Saturday's state GOP convention. And in a gaggle with N.C. reporters before the event, he knew the most pressing topic: barbecue. And he ate his words.

Perry, infamously, called North Carolina barbecue roadkill, sparking numerous stories -- some in jest, some not -- about whether it would hurt his presidential campaign campaign. Smithfield Chicken 'N Barbecue even sent him two pounds, looking to change his mind.

Perry laughed at the question -- saying he now knows to stay away from barbecue politics. But he said he ate the Smithfield 'cue: "It was good. Not as good as Texas." He even pivoted to score a political point at the end. Take a look.

There are slightly more than 6.2 million registered voters in the state; 507,655 have already voted. Now it’s everyone else’s chance. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. If you are in line by 7:30 p.m. you must be allowed to vote. Get the full voting primer here and check out the voter's guide to study up on the candidates.

Other political headlines:

--John Edwards trial Day 11 recap: During the early part of the day, it seemed as though a pendulum swung toward the defense team. Then before the trial broke for the day, the pendulum seemed to swing back toward the prosecution with testimony from Chapel Hill builder Tim Toben. He said Edwards knew details of the cross-country effort to hide Hunter that started weeks before the 2008 Iowa presidential caucuses. Read full coverage here.

--Columnist Barry Saunders: The Triangle, we’re told, has more Ph.D.s and college grads per square inch than any place on Earth, but a lot of people around here need some basic education in biology. To wit: further schooling is apparently needed to teach some of you that neither political party has a monopoly on virtue or vice, that liberals are no more libidinous than conservatives, that infidelitous Democrats are as plentiful as home-wrecking Republicans.

North Carolinians prefer Eastern North Carolina barbecue over western style barbecue, although a large number are agnostic on the issue, according to a new poll.

Overall, 42 percent of North Carolinians say they prefer eastern style barbecue to 26 percent who go for western style barbecue, according to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic leaning firm based in Raleigh. Another 32 percent said they were not sure.

The poll did not find a big difference between Democrats and Republicans on the issue.

Democrats preferred eastern style to western style by a 46-22 percent margin, while Republicans preferred eastern style to western style by a 40-30 percent margin. That is hardly surprising since the western part of the state has traditionally been more strongly Republican.

The survey also found that Texas Gov. Rick Perry's comments back in 1992 that he had tasted road kill that tasted better than eastern North Carolina barbecue were not helpful.

The poll found that 75 percent of Tar Heel voters disagreed with that statement and 40 percent of voters were less likely to vote for him because of that statement.

The survey of 760 North Carolina voters was conduced Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 and had a margin of error of 3.6 percent.

An editorial in today's News & Observer about Rick Perry's barbecue gaffe recalls the 1984 gubernatorial campaign of Rufus Edmisten who stuck his foot in his mouth when he said he was sick of barbecue. (He lost the race, but not entirely because of the barbecue comment.)

If anyone can relate to Perry, it's Edmisten. To rectify his gaffe, Edmisten called a press conference to declare "the devil made me say that," Edmisten recalled this afternoon in a phone interview. He made light of it by saying he had undergone and exorcism and he was cured.

So does Edmisten think this will hurt Perry? "He's had it. He's done. He's beef toast," Edmisten said with a hearty laugh.

A N.C. barbecue restaurant is looking to convert Texas Gov. Rick Perry into a fan of eastern-style barbecue after he once said it tasted worse than "road kill."

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q sent the 2012 Republican presidential frontrunner a letter today after reading about Perry's remark in The News & Observer. Along with the letter, SCNB included two pounds of barbecue, one pound of slaw and a pint of hot sauce. 

"I strongly encourage you to revisit your experience with Eastern North Carolina Bar-B-Q and give you the opportunity to rectify your statement," the letter asks. "We hope you enjoy this sample and perhaps sway your opinion originally based on the snapshot experience you had with Eastern N.C. Bar-B-Q."

As a commenter on SCNB's blog suggests, “Gov. Perry, clearly all those jalapeños have destroyed your taste buds.”

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr might hail from the Piedmont town of Winston-Salem, but any voters wondering where he stands on the important political issue of ‘cue might wonder no more.

Burr will stand up for Eastern N.C. barbecue at a fund-raiser for himself scheduled Wednesday in Washington, reports Barb Barrett.

The "Burr-B-Q Showdown" also will feature Sens. John Cornyn of the Texas beef brisket; Kit Bond of the Kansas City style; and Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander bringing on the Memphis.

Tickets are $2,000 per political action committee and $500 per individual to help host the party; $1,000 per political action committee and $100 per individual to attend. Burr held a similar event last year.

The barbecue dinner, at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is one of several fund-raisers this month in Burr’s honor, according to the Sunlight Foundation, a non-partisan government watchdog group.

Last week included a breakfast and a dinner, and next month there is a golf tournament for Burr scheduled at the five-diamond Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.

Burr is running for his second term in 2010.

Is the old-fashioned stump speech making a comeback?

The Winston-Salem Journal notes that Republican gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith's 100-county barbecue tour is something of a throwback in the age of mass media.

But it could be a way of reaching out when YouTube, cable TV and the Internet have fractured audiences, argue some political observers.

Several decades ago, "you could go on three broadcast stations and reach everybody in the media market," said Mark Stephens, a political consultant in Raleigh who is not working for any of the candidates running for governor this year. "Now, you’re also seeing a move back to grass-roots campaigning, because even with the larger campaign budgets, you’re still not reaching everybody."

Smith and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory have aired ads as well. Salisbury attorney Bill Graham plans to advertise before the primary, while former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr says he doesn't have the money.

Tired of being overweight and unhealthy?

Try one of the personalized workout plans suggested by the Republican gubernatorial candidates tonight.

WEIGHT WATCHERS: Bill Graham says he doesn't get enough exercise, but he tries to watch his weight. "I don't exercise as I should," he said. "I'll admit that."

MAYOR McSTRESS: Pat McCrory says he loses weight—at work. "As mayor of a major city, sometimes I use stress as a way to lose weight. That's not the way to do it."

RUNNING MAN: Bob Orr says he exercises three days a week, even while campaigning. "I certainly wouldn't recommend running for governor as a healthy lifestyle," Orr said.

PICKIN' PIG: Fred Smith said that he sticks to barbecue on his 100-county tour. "I make sure I don't eat any hush puppies or potatoes," he said.

Fred Smith bragged about his company's health care plans.

At the UNC-TV debate tonight, the Republican gubernatorial candidate talked about his businesses' efforts to stress medical testing for its workers.

He then told a story about one employee thanked him for it because he learned that he had high cholesterol during one of the rounds of testing.

Back in the press room, Dome's colleague, Greensboro reporter Mark Binker, wondered aloud how much high cholesterol Smith's statewide barbecue tour has caused in North Carolinians.