How to Avoid Utter Embarrassment at the Iowa State Fair, as a Presidential Candidate
Political hopefuls find the annual fair can be an obstacle course. Don’t flip the pork chops too fast, watch out for the corn dogs. Stephanie Stamm/ the wall street journal Stephanie Stamm/ the wall street journal By John McCormick , Catherine Lucey , Stephanie Stamm and Juanje Gómez Aug. 10, 2023 8:00 am ET DES MOINES, Iowa—Republican presidential hopefuls are now barnstorming early voting states, answering voter questions at town hall meetings and trying to win over enough donors to qualify for the first debate.None of that may compare to the political obstacle course that
DES MOINES, Iowa—Republican presidential hopefuls are now barnstorming early voting states, answering voter questions at town hall meetings and trying to win over enough donors to qualify for the first debate.
None of that may compare to the political obstacle course that is the Iowa State Fair, which starts Thursday and is expected to attract a dozen or so presidential candidates.
“Things can go wrong because it’s spontaneous,” says Jimmy Centers, a Republican strategist in Iowa who has consulted with presidential campaigns for fair visits. “It is a campaign advance staffer’s nightmare.”
Failures on the 400-plus-acre fairgrounds are the stuff of legend in the state that starts the Republican presidential nomination voting with its caucuses on Jan. 15. Local guides say candidates must carefully prepare for an event laden with greasy victuals, food on a stick, butter sculptures and massive farm machines—as well as an unscreened audience increasingly equipped with cellphones and an inclination to post any mishaps on social media. More than one million people are expected to visit the fairgrounds over the 11-day period.
Along with passing the test of unscripted retail politicking, the candidates are also there to make good photos and video for the mob of state and national news crews who cover the spectacle the summer before the caucuses.
Fortunately for the newcomers, there are many cautionary tales that can serve as a guide for staying out of trouble. (For readers, it’s a guide to why you’re glad you’re not running for office.)
Former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who ran for the GOP nomination in 2016, said at one point his young son waited until he was surrounded by the media at the fair before asking for a deep-fried candy bar. “He knew I couldn’t say no,” Jindal jokes.
When it comes to eating, Matt Paul, a Democratic strategist in Iowa and fair visit veteran, suggested sticking to the basics. “Don’t get crazy with the food.”
Be careful of the type of the food that is eaten. In 2011, Republican Rick Perry, then a Texas governor, was mocked over unflattering photos of him eating a corn dog. State fair political guides have since recommended that the food be avoided entirely.
Also, when buying a snack, tip big and don’t look too healthy. John Kerry, seeking the 2004 Democratic nomination, famously ordered a strawberry smoothie instead of something deep-fried.
Brace for tough weather (and go extra-strength on that deodorant) lest your face shine more than your message.
Former Vice President
Mike Pence,
who plans to spend at least two days at this year’s fair as a GOP 2024 candidate, got soaked last year when he visited as a prospective candidate. Massive sweating can also make for ugly photos.
Scheduling is another variable. Campaigns sometimes jockey to try to appear on a day that’s both good for their broader schedules and when they will not be competing with too many other candidates for attention.
It doesn’t always work out. In 2015, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump arrived on the same day, and he overshadowed her by using his personal helicopter to offer rides to children from the south end of the grounds.
Above all, try to relax.
“Let people see who you are,” says former Sen.
Rick Santorum, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination in 2012 and 2016. “That’s the most important thing, to the extent that that’s a good thing.”David Wade, who was Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign spokesman, downplayed the ultimate importance of the fair on electoral politics. “When John Kerry handily won the caucuses on a cold night in 2004, we were relieved that none of the 124,000 caucus-goers were thinking of pink smoothies or meat on a stick,” he said.
Photo sources: M. Spencer Green/Associated Press; Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News;
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Eric Thayer/Reuters; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images;
Al Drago/Bloomberg News; Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News; Scott Olson/Getty Images (2);
KC McGinnis for The Wall Street Journal; Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press (2); Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call/Zuma Press; Jack Kurtz/Zuma Press; Charlie Riedel/Associated Press; Paul Sancya/Associated Press; Charles Dharapak/Associated Press; Scott Morgan/Reuters
—Ariel Zambelich contributed to this article.
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