POLITICIANS GO WHERE PEOPLE ARE...DISTRICT FAIR; ANNUAL AUTUMN FESTIVAL HERE MARKS TRADITIONAL CAMPAIGN KICKOFF FOR AREA

In most places, Labor Day is considered the traditional kickoff date for general election political campaigns. But in Cape Girardeau County, the traditional kickoff is the SEMO District Fair.

The county Democratic and Republican political committees work hard to staff booths and distribute literature on candidates. They know that for many people, the fair will be the first time they have given consideration to the choices they are facing in the November general election.

Many people stop by political booths seeking information about candidates or hoping for an opportunity to visit with a candidate or officeholder.

This year there is a third political entity vying for attention, with supporters of Ross Perot are staffing an Election '92 tent. The booth was reserved in the spring when Perot was still waging a campaign for the presidency. Perot dropped out of the race in July, but his name remains on the ballot in Missouri and all other states.

Local supporters saw the fair as an opportunity to espouse the views of Perot, especially his economic plan that calls for balancing the budget in the next five years.

SEMO District Fair politics hit a new high Wednesday when First Lady Barbara Bush made a 50-minute campaign visit to the fairgrounds. Fair Board President Pete Poe said it was the only time he was aware of a campaign visit at the presidential level to the fair.

Bush was accompanied by Missouri First Lady Janet Ashcroft, whose husband has been a frequent campaigner at the fair during his four campaigns for attorney general and governor.

Mrs. Bush was escorted around the fair by Poe and Peter Kinder, the 27th District Republican candidate for the Missouri Senate. Kinder, who has spent a lot of time at the fair campaigning this week, said being with the president's wife was the highlight of the week for him.

"Campaigning was taken to a whole new level with the visit of the First Lady," said Kinder. "That was a boost to our whole ticket and I was proud to be with her."

After Mrs. Bush left, Kinder collected tickets at the Big Bull Chute-Out grandstand event as a way to greet fairgoers and potential voters.

"It remains the time-honored place to meet people and to visit people - not just from Cape County but a wide area," observed Kinder. "People are quite friendly and the friendly response hit a fever pitch with Mrs. Bush."

Kinder's Democratic opponent, Betty Hearnes of Charleston, is no stranger to the fair.

"I've always campaigned at the fair - it's a big event for Southeast Missouri."

When her husband Warren Hearnes served as governor from 1965-72, Mrs. Hearnes said he came to the fair often to visit with people.

"People are always courteous at a fair because they come for fun," added Hearnes.

She is spending her time this week going around the fairgrounds and working the Democratic tent "because people come there to find you if they want to see you.

"You just try to get around and meet everybody that's out there."

Kinder, who awaited Mrs. Bush's arrival by shaking hands with the crowd of mostly senior citizens in the R&R tent, said he prefers to work the crowd and not stay in one place.

"I'm not one to hang by the party tent and wait for people to come and see me," said Kinder. "Although the campaign has been going at an intense level for some time, people don't tend to focus on it. After the fair they begin to start focusing on candidates and what they are saying and doing."

Several candidates, including Kinder and Hearnes, walked in the parade that officially opened the fair Monday afternoon.

"It was a very receptive group that watched the parade Monday," said Hearnes. "People were having fun."

Because the fair draws people from a wide area, candidates from other counties often venture to the SEMO District Fair. Former state Rep. Frank Ellis of Sedgewickville, who served over 20 years in the Missouri House, was a regular visitor for the Democratic booth during his tenure.

Even though he has been out of office for nearly two years, he and his wife were visiting at the fair Thursday afternoon.

Statewide candidates and officeholders also view the fair as a prime place to visit and see a lot of people. Several link fundraising events to fair week in Cape Girardeau or make an effort to see that they fit it into their schedule.

The entire Democratic state ticket plans a visit to the fair this morning to launch a seven-city, two-day tour around the state. After an 8 a.m. news conference at the FFA barn, the candidates will spend several hours at the fair talking primarily about issues dealing with the economy and agriculture.

For state treasurer candidate Bob Holden, this will be his second visit to the fair. The St. Louis Democrat made a brief visit to Arena Park Tuesday afternoon while on a campaign swing through the area.

Not to be outdone, several of the Republican statewide candidates are planning to campaign at the fair Saturday evening, including Attorney General William Webster, the GOP candidate for governor.

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson is always a familiar face at the fair, but will have his time limited because Congress is in session this week.

His Democratic opponent, Thad Bullock, can be seen often seeking votes on the fairgrounds.

Even Secretary of State Roy Blunt, who is not on the ballot in November after losing the Republican primary for governor, could not pass up the SEMO District Fair this election year.

He visited County Clerk Rodney Miller's registration booth Thursday afternoon as part of his efforts to help reach a goal of 3 million registered voters by the Oct. 14 registration deadline.

Perot supporters have been conducting a straw poll this week on the presidential race. Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton has held a steady lead throughout the week.

Through Wednesday, Clinton had gathered 548 or 40 percent of the votes; President Bush had 444 votes for 32 percent; Perot had 226 votes for 17 percent; none of the above drew 107 votes; and there were 45 write-ins for various candidates.