Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich stopped traffic inside fair's Varied Industries Building, where fans and onlookers stopped to chat. People lined up to buy autographed copies of his book, "Winning the Future."
But New York Gov. George Pataki got a few stares of bewilderment as he strode down the Iowa State Fair's Grand Concourse with an entourage of security and TV cameras.
Fairgoer Cindy Greteman, of Carroll, asked a reporter trailing Pataki who the person drawing so much attention was.
"So who is he?" she said.
Pataki's visit to the fair was part of a three-day swing to the state. He stumped for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture candidate Bill Northey and was scheduled to attend eight fundraisers around the state.
Pataki played up his state's ties to farming while at the fair. Accompanied by Northey and State Sen. Stewart Iverson, Pataki lunched on a chop at the pork producers' tent, a traditional stop for political candidates.
"We have a great state fair in New York, but we don't have pork chops, and we don't have pork on a stick. And I've got to say, this is very, very good," Pataki said.
During their trips, both candidates talked about the need to develop sources of renewable energy.
"Having an aggressive commitment to breaking our over-dependency on foreign oil isn't just good for agriculture in Iowa and America, it's good for our foreign policy," Pataki said.
Gingrich was scheduled to appear at a forum on the topic with Gov. Tom Vilsack over the weekend.
And both candidates called for a tough stance against terrorism after a terrorism plot in Great Britain was foiled this week.
Pataki said the latest development just reminds people of what New Yorkers have been aware of since 9/11.
"We're in a war - and it's a war against committed barbarians, who would engage in suicide attacks and have no qualms using terror and killing civilians, and we have to be aggressive and win that war," Pataki said.
Gingrich said the terrorist plot that was uncovered this week reminded Americans of how seriously the threat should be taken.
"These are people who are deeply opposed to our way of life, and who if they get a nuclear or biological weapon are gonna kill as many of us as they can," he said.
Tom Cornelius, a Republican from Bagley, stopped to get Gingrich's autograph. He said he agrees with Gingrich on national security issues.
"I think that we can't afford to have Democrats in office. They have one basic, strong supporter of the war situation, and they just turned him out," Cornelius said, referring to the ouster of Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., in a primary election earlier this week.
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