Charlotte residents were ecstatic to hear this week that their city was selected to host the Democratic convention. But there was one line in the e-mail announcement from First Lady Michelle Obama that made locals say, "Huh?"

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In listing Charlotte's many virtues, Obama named southern charm, hospitality, diversity - "And of course, great barbecue."

That was news to residents, who know that North Carolina's best barbecue lies farther afield. "We appreciate the compliments, and they're all spot-on until that last one," the editorial board of the Charlotte Observer newspaper wrote in a blog post titled, "Charlotte = great barbecue? Who knew?"

"Everybody knows to get the best stuff, you gotta drive north to Lexington," the board added.

A local Associated Press reporter quoted a barbecue expert, retired University of North Carolina professor John Shelton Reed, who said that Charlotte for barbecue was "like Minneapolis for gumbo."

The gaffe was enough to make you wonder whether the White House had simply cut and pasted Southern clichés to create the first lady's announcement.

A Fox News website also implied that Obama's praise for barbecue was at odds with her push for healthy eating, noting in a Fox Nation blog post: "Studies show a barbecue meal weighs in at around 2,500 calories."

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, in an interview, didn't try to defend his city's offerings.

"We have good barbecue in Charlotte, but there's great barbecue [elsewhere] across the state," Foxx told POLITICO. "I have had great barbecue in Charlotte that's been brought in on a truck."

But he said Charlotte will not let down the Obamas.

"If barbecue is what the First Lady wants, she will have all the barbecue she needs," Foxx said. "We'll make sure of it."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/48756.html#ixzz1DIB4shoa

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