The Paducah Sun 

Bill Bartleman

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COLUMBUS, Ky. — If Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards wants to visit rural American, Shawn Dixon has the perfect place — Columbus, Kentucky. 

"We're so rural that the nearest McDonald's restaurant is 45 to 50 minutes away," Dixon said. 

Edwards is running an Internet contest in which he promises to visit whatever city in America receives the most votes "demanding" that he come. So far nearly 5,000 people have nominated and voted for more than 500 cities. 

As of late Thursday, Columbus, population 229, ranked second, behind Los Angeles, population 3.7 million, and ahead of Dallas, population 1.2 million. 

The contest ends at 11 a.m July 18. 

Dixon, 24, said he began sending e-mails a week ago to promote his hometown. When Columbus moved into the top 20, he expanded his effort and posted the voting link on political Web sites. 

"I think we can get a lot of people behind us who have never even heard of Columbus because we are so small," Dixon said. "People like to see the little guy win."

Dixon said it is doubtful that any presidential candidate has campaigned in Columbus or Hickman County, at least not in modern times. 

The eventful.com Web site includes a video message from Edwards in which he promises to meet with residents of whatever town is selected and answer at least 10 questions. 

A spokesman at his campaign headquarters in North Carolina said the size of the winning town isn't important, even though candidates usually visit metropolitan areas where they will be exposed to hundreds of thousands of people. 

"Big or small, Democrat or Republican, he'll go to whatever town wins," the spokesman said. The date will be set after the contest closes.

Although voting so far has been light nationwide, it is expected to pick up as more people learn about the contest. 

Dixon said he hopes his effort for Columbus gains support from others in the region, even if they don't back Edwards and even if they aren't Democrats. 

"It would be exciting for the people of Columbus and Hickman County to have any presidential candidate visit," Dixon said. 

"When candidates come to Kentucky, they always go to Lexington or Louisville to have a fundraiser and pick up checks," he said. "The rural parts of the state are neglected. They need to come hear what is on our minds and talk to the people in rural America." 

In the early 1800s, Columbus came close to being the nation's capital. After a fire damaged government buildings in Washington, President Thomas Jefferson proposed that the capital be moved to a more central location, and Columbus was one of the sites considered because of its location along the Mississippi River. 

However, his effort to move the capital fell one vote short of passage in the U.S. Senate. 

Columbus also was a strategic battleground during the Civil War because of efforts to keep war supplies moving on the Mississippi River.