While President Obama arrives in western Iowa today for a three-day campaign swing through the state, the man Mitt Romney has chosen as his running mate plans to campaign in central Iowa.
Romney announced Saturday that Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, is his pick for vice president. Early this afternoon Ryan will join the long list of politicians who have campaigned at the Iowa State Fair. Some of the Republicans who stopped by the Iowa GOP’s State Fair booth Sunday had some suggestions for Ryan.
“See the big boar,” one man suggested.
Another said Ryan should “have something fried on a stick.”
One Republican even suggested Ryan stop for a full meal: “A turkey stick and a beer.”
A woman had yet another idea: “Maybe he should try the zip line.”
That kind of extreme sport might be more Ryan’s style, as Ryan is a former personal trainer who has led P90X workouts in the House gym, but the intense media spotlight on a politician who’s risen to Ryan’s level often demands the State Fair “photo op.” Politicians at the Fair have eaten things like deep fried Twinkies, so maybe Ryan can visit the State Fair food stand that has the word “vegetables” on it.
“They have veggie corn dogs,” one woman standing in line at the booth said Sunday, “but it’s still fried.”
Fried is probably out. So are sweets, as TV viewers saw this past January on FOX News Sunday when Ryan was treated with a birthday cake.
“You don’t have to eat it,” host Chris Wallace said and Ryan replied: “I’m not going to.”
Wallace quickly shot back: “You don’t eat sweets — really?”
Ryan, who is 42 years old, told Wallace he had given up sweets “a long time ago.”
Maybe protein is the answer. Many of the Republicans at the party’s State Fair booth suggested Ryan eat a pork chop on a stick.
“I think the pork is wonderful,” one woman at the GOP’s State Fair booth said, “but talking to the people is the best thing.”
Ryan is scheduled to speak at The Des Moines Register’s “Soap Box” this afternoon on the fairgrounds.
“That’s all that really matters to me is that he gets his word out,” said the man had earlier suggested Ryan eat something fried on a stick.
Ryan’s budget-cutting message was most often cited by the Republicans hanging around the party’s Fair booth on Sunday.
AUDIO of Henderson’s report.