Iowa Fair: 'Hogs for Edwards,' Brownback on parade

It's not only politicians on parade. They serve a few pork chops at the fair. Iowa State Fair photo.

by Rick Pearson

DES MOINES — You know it's Iowa State Fair time when the air is filled with sauna-like heat and humidity, the smell of deep-fried fat and the natural, organic perfume of the farm—and all of that's just coming from the politicians.

Tonight is the kickoff of the state fair, and Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback is planning to spend an hour walking the opening parade route in his quest for a strong grassroots showing in this weekend's other fair-like event, the Iowa straw poll in Ames.

Other presidential candidates have also scheduled the state fair as a must campaign location during its formal run from Aug. 9 through Aug. 19.

Also taking part in tonight's parade is what Democratic contender John Edwards' campaign is calling its "Hogs for Edwards" float. Aside from the potential mental images that such a title can evoke, the Edwards campaign says the float, featuring eight Berkshire hogs, is meant to symbolize a need to protect the state's family farms.

Edwards is seeking a moratorium on concentrated animal feeding operations, such as huge corporate hog-farming operations that have sometimes raised environmental concerns. Since 1978, Edwards' campaign says, the number of Iowa hog farms has dropped from 59,143 to 8,900.

Still, it's questionable through this entire 10-day fair affair how much politics Iowans can stomach. Will fairgoers see Edwards' porcine homage and think family-farm protections? Will they think about all those pork-barrel earmarks that the candidates have been trashing on the stump.

Or, more simply, will it evoke an even greater desire for one of those big other-white-meaty Iowa pork chops?