THE IOWA STATE FAIR HAS BECOME A PRESIDENTIAL MECCA FOR
POLITICIANS OF EVERY STRIPE.
AND NOW A MARQUEE EXHIBIT TAKES YOU BACK IN TIME.
THE RALPH DEETS MUSEUM TRACES SOME OF THE FAIR'S BIGGEST MOMENTS.
INCLUDING AN ENTIRE ROOM DEDICATED TO AMERICAN PRESIDENTS
AND THEIR FAMOUS VISITS.
WE'RE THE ONLY FAIR IN THE COUNTRY THAT GETS THIS NUMBER,
AND WE'RE THE ONLY FAIR THAT CAN BOAST SO MANY PRESIDENTS AND
CANDIDATES THAT HAVE VISITED THE FAIR.
OUR EARLIEST TWO THAT WE HAD VISIT WAS HOOVER AND EISENHOWER
VISITED OUR CENTENNIAL FAIR.
THE YEAR WAS 1954 AND THE GREAT IOWA STATE FAIR CENTENNIAL
CELEBRATIONS WAS PLANNED YEARS IN ADVANCE.
WHAT BETTER WAY TO PARTY THAN WITH AN AMERICAN WAR HERO TURNED
PRESIDENT AND IOWA'S NATIVE PRESIDENTIAL SON.
EISENHOWER AND HOOVER MARCHED THROUGH THE LIVESTOCK PAVILLIONS,
REMINISCED WITH IOWA FARMERS, AND ADDRESSED FAIR GOERS.
EISENHOWER IN THE EARLY DEPTHS OF THE COLD WAR FOUND TIME TO
MIX MORNINGS AND NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON WITH A PLEDGE TO
DRINK A COLD BEER AT THE BUD TENT.
TWENTY YEARS EARLIER AN ICONIC FAIR MOMENT WAS ACTUALLY AN OVAL
OFFICE SHOWDOWN.
IN 1896, 1921, AND 1932, THE STATE FAIR HAD STAGED TRAIN
COLLISIONS IN FRONT OF THE GRAND STANDS.
AND THE ONE IN 1932 HAD A PRESIDENTIAL CONNECTION BECAUSE
THEY NAMED ONE OF THE LOCOMOTIVES AFTER THEN-PRESIDENT
HERBERT HOOVER AND THE OTHER ONE AFTER HIS OPPONENT IN THE 1932
ELECTION, FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.
LUCKILY FOR F.D.R., HIS PRESIDENCY WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN HIS
NAMESAKE TRAIN.
MODERN-DAY POLITICAL SHOWDOWNS MAY BE LESS EXPLOSIVE, BUT THEY
ARE NOT NECESSARILY QUIET AFFAIRS.
WHEN BRAND-NEW VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PAUL RYAN MARCHED DOWN
THE GRAND CONCOURSE THIS YEAR, HE WAS IMPRESSED WITH OUR GRAND
STAND.
NOT SO MUCH BY A FEW OUTSPOKEN IOWANS.
I THINK THE SURPRISES COMES WHEN THE CANDIDATES INTERACT WITH
FAIR GOERS OR WHEN THEY ARE, FOR INSTANCE, GIVING A SPEECH ON THE
DES MOINES REGISTER SOAP BOX AND SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
HAPPENS LIKE I SAID, YOU MUST NOT BE FROM IOWA.
FLASH BACK TO THE 1970S TO DISCOVER FAIR GOERS WERE MORE
GRACIOUS TO ANOTHER MIDWESTERN REPUBLICAN, AND IT DOESN'T HURT
THAT HE PRAISED IOWA AGRICULTURE.
AND THE AMERICAN FARMER STANDS 10 FEET TALL IN HIS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS NATION'S GREATNESS.
PRESIDENT FORD'S TRIP IS ENSHRINED AT THE FAIR MUSEUM.
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS NOT SOME OBSOLETE $2 BILL WITH
THOMAS JEFFERSON ON THE FRONT.
THAT IS ACTUALLY THE $2 BILL THAT GERALD FORD PAID TO GET
INTO THE IOWA STATE FAIR IN 1975.
WELL, WHAT DO WE GOT HERE?
OH, DAN QUAYLE.
NOTICE THERE ARE NO POTATOES IN THIS SHOP.
SPEAKING OF WAR TIMES, THE 34TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, WHO WAS MARRIED TO
AN IOWAN, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHY HE WAS SO GREAT.
OH, AND HERE'S JIMMY CARTER.
I GUESS HE ENTERED SOME PEACHES INTO THIS STATE FAIR, AND HE WON
A RIBBON.
THAT'S A STEREOTYPE OF GEORGIA.
I THINK THE DRAW TO BRING A POLITICIAN TO THE IOWA STATE
FAIR IS THAT YOU GET THE GREATEST CROSS SECTION OF
IOWANS.
WE'RE ALL IOWANS BUT YET IF YOU'RE FROM SOUTHERN IOWA, YOU
MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN IF YOU'RE FROM NORTHWEST IOWA.
YOU SEE ALL THE ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMY OF IOWA, THE
FRIENDLINESS OF PEOPLE IN IOWA.
I KNOW THAT FRED THOMPSON TOOK GRIEF NO END BECAUSE CHUCK
GRASSLEY ACTUALLY HAD TO PROMPT HIM TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE AS HE WAS
WALKING DOWN THE GRAND CONCOURSE.
THAT WAS AN ODD MOMENT.
SO IT TELLS YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CANDIDATE.
BARACK OBAMA MADE LASTING FAMILY MEMORIES AT THE FAIR IN 2007,
BUT HE CAME BACK THIS YEAR NOT TO RIDE THE MIDWAY, BUT FOR
SOMETHING WE ALL CRAVE: FOOD, DRINKS, AND A RELAXING
ATMOSPHERE.
IT IS ICE COLD AND TASTY.
STAY TUNED TO IPTV'S FAIR COVERAGE FOR
A LOOK BACK AT HOW FAIR FOOD HAS LONG CAPTURED
THE ATTENTION OF POLITICIANS.