Jason Carter Opens Up in Weekend Questionnaire

(May 15) -- While other American political dynasties have grabbed the headlines, the Carters have been mostly silent. They never quite had the bravado of the Kennedys or the insider power of the Bushes or the bedroom power struggle of the Clintons. But that may be about to change.

Jason Carter, the 34-year-old grandson of former president Jimmy Carter, was elected to the Georgia state Senate on Tuesday in a special election, making him the first Carter to hold public office since Jimmy packed up the Oval Office in 1981 (in 2006, Jason's father, Jack, lost a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Nevada to John Ensign).

In the Weekend Questionnaire, he talks about why the Carters don't have a family "compound," the things his wife gives him a hard time about (there are three, by our count) and his man crush on Matt Damon.

AOL News: Where are you right now?
I am in my car sitting in Atlanta traffic.

What's your idea of a perfect weekend?
This weekend, I'm going up to our cabin in the mountains with my wife. That's pretty perfect, especially after having just won this election.

If I could grant you one superpower for this weekend, flight or invisibility, which would you choose?
Flight. Because I assume I could take someone with you. And I'm not really trying to sneak around right now.

What would you choose as your last meal?
Probably a Farm Burger, which is a restaurant here, with jalapenos and cheddar cheese and yellow mustard. And fries. And a vanilla malt.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yes. I've experienced it. Fifteen years ago. At Duke, when I met my wife, Kate. I was two years older, and I saw her during her freshman orientation.

If you could host a dinner party with any four people, living or dead, who would you invite?
I'll take Nelson Mandela, because I used to live in South Africa. I would take this woman who we called Gogo, who was the matriarch of my little community when I was in the Peace Corps, because she would be so excited to eat with Mandela. I would take Hayes Carll, an underground Galveston country singer and social critic. And I would take Jason Heyward. He's a Braves rookie right fielder. He's just so hot right now in Atlanta it's unbelievable.

What's your guilty pleasure on the Internet?
Fantasy football sites. Even in the off-season. I'm not even preparing for the draft, and I'm still reading about people's recovery from off-season surgery.

What's the one piece of technology you could not live without?
My BlackBerry.

Have you ever lied to your doctor?
No, I don't think so.

If you could have lunch with the president, what's the one idea you'd want to plant in his head?
I just think that engaging in your community can be done in so many different ways, and I would love to see the president demonstrate that. The ethic of community service and volunteering. It would be fun to see him expand that idea of what it means to engage in your community.

What's the biggest perk of being the grandson of a former president?
This weekend, it's using the cabin in the mountains. It's a three-room cabin, and my grandfather made all of the furniture in it by hand. It's not like the compound some other presidential families have. The microwave is from 1983. You turn the dial and it ticks down.

What's your most embarrassing moment from your youth?
I'm positive after sitting in a Senate caucus meeting today that my youth is not over.

If you could pick one age to be for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It might be 34. Things are pretty great right now.

When was the last time you swore at someone?
I almost swore at someone who called to offer me early congratulations while I was standing on the street holding a sign on Election Day. I was so nervous we were going to lose that I thought they were going to jinx it.

Do you have a recurring dream?
In law school, I used to dream I was going to get an "A" on my papers, and my wife would make fun of me. It was sort of an anxiety dream.

If I offered you an island that had all of America's strengths and none of her weaknesses, would you move there?
No. Part of what makes America such an incredible place is the dynamism, the way it moves and flexes. If you tried to freeze our society, count up the strengths, you would be taking away part of what makes her great.

You're leaving the office on a Friday, and you have the weekend off. What song do you put on in the car?
I'm leaving for the weekend right now, and I've got Robert Earl Keen's "Feelin' Good Again" playing. It's a great Friday afternoon song.

Are all babies cute?
They're certainly not all as cute as my two boys are. I have a 3½-year-old and 1½-year-old, Henry and Thomas.

Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so what would you like it to be?
I do. I just sort of feel like there's a permanence to the spiritual being. I don't know what I'd like it to be. The short answer is I'd like it to be like heaven. Does that mean it's angels and harps? I don't think so.

Do you cry at weddings?
I do. Totally. I can't believe you asked me that and I had to be honest. I totally do. My wife is always like, "Come on, man."

Are you able to live in the now?
Yes.

How many true friends do you have?
Maybe four. Maybe six. Ahh ... maybe 10.

What would you title your autobiography?
I don't know that I'll ever write an autobiography. I wrote a book that was published by National Geographic called "Power Lines," about my time in South Africa, and I already got enough grief for publishing a memoir when I was in my mid-20s.

Who would you like to play you in the movie of your life?
Matt Damon. And that's not because my wife likes Matt Damon. It's because I like Matt Damon.

Would you be happy if your kids turned out just like you?
Maybe not just like me. But I'm happy, and I think if my kids turn out happy I'd be happy.

If you had to lose one of your five senses, what would you choose?
I think probably sight. Is that crazy?

If you were teaching an English class, what books would be required reading?
At least a few of the Patrick O'Brian "Jack Aubrey" series. "The Great Gatsby." "Neuromancer," by William Gibson. "The Education of Henry Adams." "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card. "Disgrace" by J.M. Coetzee. And the book about country music by Nicholas Dawidoff, "In the Country of Country."

Do you know your IQ?
No.

Have you ever Googled an ex-girlfriend?
Yes.

Do you tip for takeout?
Yes, but not nearly as much as for a sit-down meal. But I always do if they have a tip jar.

If you could punch one famous person, who would it be?
Maybe Glenn Beck. Does everyone say Glenn Beck?

What's the last lie you told?
I'm sure it was, "Great to see you." Something like that.

What movies have made you cry?
"Marley and Me." There are others, but I'm not going to mention them.

Have you ever stolen anything?
Sure. Like shirts and stuff from my friends.

Do you let dogs kiss you?
No. I let them lick my hand. But I don't let my dog kiss me. I cannot say the same for my 16-month-old, however.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how attractive are you?
Maybe a five or a six. [His wife, Kate, who is in the car with him, yells out that he said lower than he actually thinks.]

If you had to enter a talent show, what would your talent be?
I was just in a talent show and I told a story. So storyteller.

Other than your own, what's your favorite country?
South Africa. It's an incredible place. For a time it was the most dynamic society in history.

Have you ever been in a fistfight?
Yes. But not for a long, long time.

What would I be surprised to find on your iPod?
I think the Barking Gorillas' "Fire Truck Song."

What about your TiVo?
We pretty much only TiVo Jon Stewart and "Dinosaur Train," which is like the greatest kids show ever.

You're in the express lane at the grocery store. Do you secretly count the number of items people in front of you have? Every single time.