The Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair took place this morning in Sedalia. This annual event is usually a “must attend” function for Missouri legislators, statewide office holders, and members of Congress. Usually.
There are always displays of yard signs and a gauntlet of t-shirt bedecked volunteers passing out campaign stickers at the entrance to the morning’s festivities.
It’s an opportunity for us to replenish our “b roll” of file photos of Missouri politicians with newer images. The problem is that the members of the General Assembly come by so thick and fast we can’t keep up. But we do get a few photos.
The annual Trump cult shrine.
Billy Long’s (r) campaign bus and Billy Long made an appearance.
The Missouri State Fair Queen, Rosie Lenz:
The cult of the lost cause:
Representative Rick Francis (r):
Flying above the annual Trump cult shrine:
MAGA “Bullshit” flag [top].
Representative Billy Long (r).
Representative Willard Haley (r):
Billy Long (r).
Masks anyone?
Missouri Attorney General and amateur medical expert Eric Schmitt (r).
Representative Vicky Hartzler(r):
New file photos!
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r):
Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (r):
Representative Jason Smith (r), sporting a January 6, 2021 sedition look:
In case you’re wondering – in over an hour standing at the entrance with a camera and a 400 mm lens to help me keep my distance I counted only four individuals, including me, out of the many attending who were wearing masks.
The early morning Governor’s Ham Breakfast in the second week of the State Fair in Sedalia is the largest annual one day gathering of ostrich skin boots, tailored jeans, and silver decorated leather belts in the State of Missouri.
We’re talking menswear.
It’s an opportunity for us to photograph and (rarely, if ever) talk to a number of Missouri politicians, all in one place at the same time.
This year a number of office holders either skipped the event or managed to avoid the entrance gauntlet. Others made their way through it.
Governor Mike Parson (r).
Right wingnut swag.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r).
A journalist:
Eli Yokley – Morning Consult.
On a break of sorts, though he hasn’t stopped tweeting. We knew Eli way back when…
State Auditor and recently announced gubernatorial candidate Nicole Galloway (D):
State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D).
After covering the breakfast under the tent for 1000 people we ventured on to the State Fair grounds.
An encounter on the main drag:
A blue ribbon in the Home Economics Building:
Getting ready to judge pies:
Judging rabbits in the Poultry/Rabbit Building. Poultry during the first week of the fair, rabbits during the second week:
Various political parties have tents on the main drag promoting their candidates and ideology.
The folks at the Democratic Party tent have noted a consistent number of people this year passing by calling out and yelling “Socialists!” (among other things) at them. Yeah, sure, everyone’s a rabid capitalist until their party leader imposes tariffs to engage in a trade war and then has Congress bail out agricultural interests. We didn’t ask the occupants of the Republican tent if people were consistently yelling “Fascists!” at them. We probably should have.
Josh Hawley’s (r) campaign “flatbed truck” outside the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast in Sedalia this morning:
The Ivy League vision of a flatbed truck.
And, guess who else was there?:
Our old friend, Eli!
Eli Yokley @eyokley
.@HawleyMO brought his debate trailer to the state fair: “Where is @clairecmc? She’s hiding out in Washington, D.C.”
[….] 9:43 AM – 16 Aug 2018 from Governor’s Ham Breakfast
Much hilarity ensued. Some of the responses:
Senate is in session. Hawley wants MO to elect the first senatorial candidate who doesn’t even have the mental capacity to read a calendar.
Well, the Republican platform is ‘Government is broken. If it isn’t, we’ll make sure it is.” So he’d fit right in.
I see the Mitch McConnell election strategy is being used…keep Senate Dem candidates working & doing their jobs so Rs can use it against them.
She’s in DC because working for Missouri and he’s using it against her?
Enough of that nonsense.
Yeah… pretty sure she is Washington DC doing her job since the Senate is in session. Need a tutorial on how government works?
At work, Josh. Unlike you, when you’re working out at Wilson’s in Columbia, MO, 25 miles from your office, in the middle of the day, during the work week
This second? Yelling at an HHS official at a Senate hearing about not caring for unaccompanied minor children after they leave government care.
Isn’t he supposed to be running the AG’s office on a weekday? That thing he was elected to do?
In Washington DC doing what her constituents pay her to do – legislate.
@HawleyMO – I would hope voters would want a candidate to know the job they are campaigning for, and understand the work schedule. Or at least be able to hire staff to help you understand?
Claire’s in DC working. Remember @SenMajLdr forced everyone to work this month so Dems cannot campaign…er sorry, to affirm Trump’s judge picks. Anyway, it’s nice to see Josh took time away from the gym to launch a campaign to debate Claire.
Um…dude…she’s in D.C. because the Senate is in session, she’s a Senator, and it’s her JOB.
Maybe you could do YOUR job for a change, @HawleyMO? Or are you working out at Wilson’s this morning?
Uh, that’s where she works representing the people of MO. Kind of embarrassing for you if you don’t understand how this works.
Idiot.
That was probably addressed to Josh Hawley (r).
Hahahaha…she’s doing her JOB! [….]
Do not vote for @HawleyMO
He’s made a fool of himself … again
Voters found Senator @ClairecMc at work & doing an exemplary job
As a former prosecutor & a Senator since 2006, she knows the details, she has the strategy to roll up her sleeves, ask questions & find solutions
I found her. She’s doing her job
Duh, McConnell killed the August recess, to prevent the Dem’s from campaigning. But thanks for reminding all of us of the GOP’s cheating ways.
At least Claire was able to teach him the difference between a trailer and a flatbed, LOL.
That assumed he’s educable…
She’s WORKING!!! Turn on CSPAN.
Is @HawleyMO unclear as to what a senator’s job is? Does he know that Congress is in Washington? Very worrying if he doesn’t know these very simple facts.
Maybe if Hawley had McCaskill’s work ethic, he would have had time to investigate Greitens’ illegal coordination with A New Missouri.
Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark.
I want him to hold a town hall so he can explain to me why he’s trying to take preexisting conditions protection away from millions of Missourians. I really want him to explain that one! #NeverHawley #VoteForClaire
Clearly that is a flatbed truck
Ouch. Again.
The people of the Show-Me State know what’s up.
Wow. He really sucks at this campaign stuff.
Um, I think she’s at work.
He does understand the job he’s seeking will require him to be in D.C. a lot of the time, right?
Claire is in Washington DC. She works there. That’s where the Senate is.
Go get some funnel cake and a corn dog.
Have fun at the fair.
Don’t you people have jobs? Claire is at work not hauling a “flatbed” around the state like @HawleyMO trying to make us believe he’s a regular Missourian.
Take a leap. Hawley didn’t debate a single one of his primary opponents. #HawleyDidntEarnIt
Wow!! Just wow!! You know senate is in session right?!? She’s. Doing. Her. Job!! Do you need a lesson in government?
She’s doing her job as a US Senator today, dealing w/ reunification of families. That’s where she is. I’m sure you could check her website & get the long list of all the Missouri towns & events she has been visiting.
I think @HawleyMO forgot that he still has a job to do in MO. We know he never really wanted it, since he almost immediately started campaigning for the next one. He’d probably be equally useless as Senator…let’s not find out.
a ham-handed publicity stunt.
We see what they did there.
We found her. But don’t waste a good search party. See if you can find an honest Republican.
Dude, just stop.
This is embarrassing.
Wow, this really backfired on you!
Senate meeting today. She has a job to do, remember?
Not hiding, working. She’s in a hearing on unaccompanied immigrant youth. It’s an actual job as opposed to eating bacon
Uh, she’s working. She’s doing what she was elected to do. What are you doing besides putting on a sideshow?
Debate trailer? Do something meaningful with your time instead of creating political theater
Ah, someone else knows what it is.
Uh. Did you see her response? You owned yourself. Never ask a question you don’t want the answer to.
Wait, Claire responded? Yes, she did!:
Claire McCaskill @clairecmc
CSPAN. Right now. Important hearing on unaccompanied children. Doing my job.
[….] 10:02 AM – 16 Aug 2018
And some of those responses:
Ain’t no clapback like a McCaskill clapback!!
Local man steps on rake; repeats.
Haha. Tell em, Claire.
Read all McCaskill tweets with a Samuel Jackson “…motherf*cker” added to the end.
They believe they’re paying attention, but they’re not by any reasonable definition of the concept.
Yesterday afternoon, after the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast, we posted a few photos on social media of candidates who attended the event. There was some interest in the image of Eric Greitens (r), the republican party nominee for Governor:
Mr. Truckerly @truckerly
@EricGreitens You must change from within. Destroy established corruption and seek real change. You have my vote.
[….] 4:29 PM – 18 Aug 2016
Well, it is a nice photo.
A champion in the battle to fight corruption in Jefferson City (or wherever)? Think about that for a second. One would assume that we all agree that money is part of the problem.
So how does someone who’s not exactly a paragon of transparency when it comes to very, very large campaign contributions become a champion for the cause fighting excessive money in politics (we assume) in the minds of his supporters? Cognitive dissonance.
As for the rest of us, we’ve already determined what Mr. Greitens (r) is, now we’re just trying to figure out who’s haggling over the price.
Our original, on Twitter:
Michael Bersin @MBersin
Eric Greitens (r) at the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast this morning.
[….] 12:49 PM – 18 Aug 2016
Twitter “likes” include Jane Cunningham (r), Sarah Steelman (r) and Austin Chambers (campaign manager for Eric Greitens?). These individuals are not exactly supporters of our Show Me Progress point of view – at least two of them have been subjects of our posts over the years. We appreciate the irony in their approval of our photograph.
Yesterday we made our annual pilgrimage to Sedalia for the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast, the largest concentration of politicians and office holders in one place in the state – outside of Jefferson City when the General Assembly is in session. It’s an opportunity for us to drive a relatively short distance and photograph (and sometime talk with) candidates and office holders. The entrance to this year’s breakfast was a more crowded and raucous affair than previous years. Even surreal. At one point Roy Blunt’s (r) cornfield image wrapped campaign bus was escorted along the entrance path by a golf cart – that driver parted the crowd with warnings to make way. I quipped to someone standing next to me that the scene needed to be accompanied by G. F. Handel’s “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” from his oratorio Solomon. That surreal.
Everywhere, signs. For Jason Kander (D) at the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast – August 18, 2016.
In to the lion’s den. A contingent from a rational group passed out leaflets to breakfast attendees running the gauntlet of candidate volunteers at the entrance to the breakfast – August 18, 2016.
Some of the candidates:
Mike Parson (r), the republican party nominee for Lieutenant Governor.
The Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast is a magnet for Missouri politicians running for office, statewide and otherwise. It’s an opportunity for us to see, talk to, and photograph political personalities, officeholders, and potential officeholders all in one place. This morning’s breakfast was no exception.
During an election year Missouri campaigns get their volunteers out to the breakfast wearing candidate (or issue) t-shirts, conduct campaign sign visibility, and offer attendees campaign stickers so they can express their support for one candidate or another.
This morning’s breakfast crowd was a little different than those in the past. A contingent of Donald Trump’s supporters, by their bearing appearing not to be previous attendees at the breakfast, conducted a somewhat more ornate and vocal visibility exercise along the path toward the entrance on behalf of their candidate.
At the Missouri State Fair Governor’s Ham Breakfast – August 18, 2016.
Like barkers on the midway.
Voices: ….[shouted] Hillary for Prison! Benghazi! Right here, I got her in jail with all the crimes. There’s all the crimes…right there….There they are, Benghazi…conspiracy, false statements….
Same costumes as the teabagger set, but with the addition of a Hillary effigy in a tiny jail cell – August 18, 2016.
One bebuttoned Trump supporter took it upon himself to try to convince a volunteer for Chris Koster (D) why she should support Donald Trump (r) rather than Hillary Clinton (D). His appeal fell on deaf ears. Her skepticism was easily visible.
We noted at yesterday morning’s Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair that a number of republican candidates and office holders (along with some campaign’s supporters) were outfitted in informal campaign wear. Not so much for the Democratic Party candidates and office holders we ran into.
This candidate was just making sure everyone knows where he stands:
This morning we attended the largest annual single gathering of politicians in Missouri, outside of the General Assembly, at the Governor’s Ham Breakfast on the grounds of the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. It makes for an interesting juxtaposition – potential political opponents for statewide and legislative office milling around and greeting each other, breakfast attendees, and the media.
It’s also an opportunity for us to get photographs of a number of public officials and political candidates in one place. Some of those results:
Attorney General Chris Koster (D), a (probable) candidate for Governor in 2016.
