On a trip to Iowa last week, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty attracted attention not for his policy positions, but for the way he was speaking. Many people thought they heard him using a southern accent.

Back in Pawlenty's home state of Minnesota, an MPR News listener said when he heard a report on the Pawlenty speech on the radio, he couldn't believe who it was.

"I didn't understand where the accent came from," said Mike Supina, a St. Paul architect. "He sounded like he was from Arkansas."

Pawlenty, who lives in Eagan, is from the south — South St. Paul, that is. MPR News asked a few people at Pro Pharmacy in downtown South St. Paul to listen to part of Pawlenty's Iowa speech.

All but one had no idea it was their city's native son speaking.

"He didn't even talk like that when he was governor," Lois Simon said, adding that he sounded like George Bush.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/03/16/pawlenty-southern-drawl/