Presidential contenders at the Iowa State Fair — Throwback to 2007 edition

What better reason to upload a few shots from my camera roll than the opening of the Iowa State Fair today. Here candidate Obama and his daughters check out the baby animals inside the fair’s Animal Learning Center. The girls at that time were incredibly accessible to reporters and well-wishers on the campaign trail.

Remember when Fred Thompson was a hot prospect on the GOP side? Yeah, it’s been a long time.

There is never a shortage of Iowa voters to meet at the fair while the Secret Service is lurking close behind and trying to blend in. Bonus points if you can name the people on the right staffing candidate Obama that day.

If you can’t find a state fair delicacy to sample for the cameras, you’re doing it wrong.

Some politicos are smart enough to shed the hot suits and have a little fun near the midway. Here candidate Obama imitates a sleeping baby in the stroller in front of him.

If you’re in the top tier of candidates, you’ll probably have a couple dozen of your closest friends following you around.

And maybe another dozen trying to get a better camera angle.

Other random state fair memories of presidential candidates I didn’t manage to capture on camera:

— Watching a cameraman and radio reporter jostle to get a better position as they chronicled Joe Lieberman eating a deep-fried Twinkie.

— Watching former New York Gov. George Pataki walk down the fair’s Grand Concourse with an entourage and overhearing fair-goers who had no clue who he was (not this cycle).