"But frankly, he's spent more time with the Hollywood elite than he did with leaders of this state, including me," he told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg.

McCrory said the reason Edwards seems out of touch with North Carolinians is because he is, noting that his support for partial-birth abortion and partner benefits for gays in the military came as a complete surprise to the people who voted him into office.

"The mainstream media seems to know more about him than the citizens of North Carolina," McCrory said. "We do not know who he is."

As for his small-town neighbors, whom Edwards continues to celebrate in one stump speech after another, the Republican mayor says the top trial lawyer does his best to keep them at arm's length.

"[Edwards and his wife] have had absolutely no visibility in the state," McCrory said. One reason Edwards was expected to lose his re-election bid, he contended, is because the VP hopeful's contact with actual voters has pretty much been limited to infrequent strolls along the beach of the his million-dollar waterfront home on Figure Eight Island.

As for places like Charlotte, where real North Carolinians live, McCrory told Malzberg that Edwards has spent "very little time there."

"I'm the mayor of the largest city in North Carolina ... and I've had probably ten minutes of face time [with him]."

That's in contrast to other North Carolina politicians such as Jesse Helms, Elizabeth Dole and even other Democratic congressmen, whom McCrory says have spent "an incredible amount of time" with him.

To get Steve Malzberg's exclusive NewsMax.com column e-mailed directly to you, go to www.newsmax.com/malzberg.

Editor's note: