FANCY FARM, Ky. — Fancy Farm 2021 was a more subdued event than in years past. Part of the reason was the COVID-19 pandemic, but the main reason was that every speaker was from the same political party.
What You Need To Know
- St. Jerome's Catholic Church held the 141st Fancy Farm Picnic this weekend
- Last year's event was scaled back dramatically due to the coronavirus
- Many Democrats, including Gov. Andy Beshear, decided not to come because of the pandemic and because there's no election this year
- Republicans spent most of their time bashing the Democrats who weren't there
“So you know we call this the ‘Super Bowl of politics’, but that assumes both teams show up," Fancy Farm emcee Bob Babbage said.
Republicans dominated Fancy Farm this year, and everyone took shots at the only Democrat holding statewide office right now, Gov. Andy Beshear.
“The fact that Governor Andrew Beshear did not show up today proves that he has abandoned rural Kentucky,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said.
“It really is too bad because West Kentucky needs a governor who cares about the entire state and not just ‘Fancyville’,” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said.
Many Louisville-area Democrats held a vaccination drive in Louisville called FancyVaxx instead of holding a political event.
Fancy Farm featured the same political humor you’d expect from each speaker, although not nearly as much jeering from the crowd.
“If Taco Bell is the closest you want to get to the Mexican border, you might be a liberal Democrat,” Kentucky State Auditor Mike Harmon joked.
Harmon is the only major Republican so far to announce his candidacy for governor in 2023.
U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky) made a joke about President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, by bringing up a picture that appeared to be drawn by a kid and "donating" it to organizers. The joke was an apparent reference to art the President’s son sold recently.
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams noted that Babbage, a former Secretary of State and State Auditor, was technically the only Democrat on stage Saturday.
“Bob is the only Democrat speaking here today and he left office 25 years ago,” Adams said. “Now he’s got a higher, more powerful office, the only one available to ambitious Democrats in Kentucky: lobbyist.”
Organizers of the event this year were also encouraging vaccinations, and a spokeswoman for the Graves County Health Department said six people got their shot on Saturday.