Crowd Responds to Fancy Farm Speeches

People travel from all over the state to the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in western Kentucky to watch a certain kind of political theater. Many of those assembled had already formed opinions about the candidates, like the democratic supporter who yelled “War on Work” interrupting republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams during his speech.Most of the candidates criticized Congress on its handling of the debt ceiling debate. Louisville resident David Hunter said he hasn’t heard anything refreshing.“Right now I’m just hearing a lot of talking points, a lot of things I’ve already heard, a lot of things I expected to hear. I’m not hearing ideas. I’m looking for solutions,” he said.Several people traveled with friends and family who supported separate parties. Jim Biedenbach is a 25-year Fancy Farm veteran who supports independent gubernatorial candidate Gatewood Galbraith by default. “Why him, because I don’t like any of the other ones. That’s what I like about him, I don’t like the other ones,” said Biedenbach.For others, like Homer Knight, making a decision this election year isn’t going to be easy.“I think we ought to throw them all out and start over,” he said.Others are more sympathetic. Brenda Douglass is from Paducah. She’s been coming to Fancy Farm since the day she was born, she said. And she supports all the candidates.“It’s hard out here, it really is, because you’ve got people against you they’re going to boo for you. It takes a lot to stand up there and speak in front of those people,” she said.