Ernst kicks off first Roast & Ride motorcycle fundraiser

BOONE - The ride was all about revved-up Harleys and triumphs. The roast featured barbecued pork and President Barack Obama.

'We have great weather and a phenomenal turnout,” Sen. Joni Ernst said Saturday as she roared off on her first Roast and Ride fundraiser and rally aboard her 2009 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

'It was a wonderful ride,” the Iowa National Guard lieutenant colonel said after leading an army of more than 300 motorcycles on a 39-mile trip from a Des Moines Harley-Davidson dealership to the Central Iowa Expo grounds near Boone.

'It was great ride,” added John Flaherty, a longtime associate of Sen. Chuck Grassley, who joined the troop on his Honda bike. 'I can't believe they're all Republicans,” he said as he surveyed the gathering throng of riders.

There was little doubt about the sentiments of the crowd of more than 1,500 people who braved 15 mph winds when a squad of seven 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, retired physician Ben Carson, former CEO Carly Fiorina and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham - mounted a hayrack stage to roast the president and the Democrats who hope to succeed him.

While each emphasized their own priorities, the overall message was that it's time for new leadership.

'We have to be willing to turn the page on yesterday because yesterday is over,” Rubio said. 'If we keep promoting the same people, we will be left behind by the future.”

There was a county fair atmosphere at the open-air event where GOP activists began arriving two hours before the program began to arrange their lawn chairs in front of the stage. As they waited for the political speeches, activists visited candidates' booths and lunched on more than 500 pounds of pork loin, ribs, sausage and a whole hog. There also was Hardee's option, a throwback to Ernst's college job.

'I brought my daughter. I just wanted to hear what the candidates had to say and introduce her to the process,” said Lena Hill from Iowa City.

Patrick Finnegan from Des Moines called the gathering his 'Comic Con.”

'My nerd just comes out,” said Finnegan, who was looking forward to hearing Rubio speak.

Not everyone shared their enthusiasm.

Brock Earnhardt of Davenport said he doesn't care for 'these cattle-call events,” but comes to be a part of the spectacle.

Mohawks and leather mixed with polo shirts and khakis, and ballet flats and skirts mingled with bluejeans and seed corn caps.

The grounds, also the site of an annual farm progress show, were decorated with hay bales, and hayracks provided a platform for camera crews.

The 'fantastic turnout” was evidence of 'how much Iowans love Joni and the fact Iowa is a hotbed for politics,” Story County GOP Co-Chairman Jeff Ortiz said, pointing a mob surrounding Walker.

It was classic Iowa retail politics. Huckabee worked the crowd, shaking hands, posing for pictures, hugging supporters waiting in line for food and checking their smartphone weather apps to gauge which would start first, the program or the rain.

In the end, the only rain on the Roast and Ride was Democratic criticism of Ernst and the 206 GOP field.

'If the 2016 GOP field has one message for Iowa's working families, it's ‘Let's make ‘em squeal,'” said former Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson. 'No matter the candidate, the Republicans' proposals make it harder and harder for our workers, students and seniors to get by. Meanwhile, under their plans the corporations and the special interests get fatter and fatter. Iowa families deserve a president who believes everyone deserves a chance to succeed.”

'They will have to look elsewhere than today's Roast and Ride,” she added.

There were few at the Roast and Ride who shared her view, according to Carson, who took advantage of the opportunity 'to press the flesh with the people.”

The opportunity was briefly put on hold because of a bomb threat phoned into the Department of Public Safety radio dispatcher in Des Moines. The candidates were moved to the administration building while Boone County sheriff's deputies and Iowa State Patrol troopers swept the grounds, said Chief Deputy Rick Lampe.

'It turned out it was nothing,” he said.

It's not for nothing that the candidates came to the Roast and Ride, Ernst said.

'I think it is Iowa extremely important” for candidates to come to Iowa because 'Iowans want to see their candidates, they want to reach out and shake their hands, they want to ask that question face to face,” Ernst said. 'Iowa is a great cross-section of America. If the candidates want to see how their message is turning out, this is the place to be.”

The Roast and Ride helped Jerald Phipps of Mount Ayr achieve his goal of narrowing the growing Republican field, which he called the most talented group Republicans have seen, down to four candidates.

After about an hour of listening to the candidates, many walked away debating who 'won.” But Don Crosby of Ottumwa was disappointed.

'There wasn't a lot of substance,” he said, adding that he understood it still was very early in the process.

That's why it will be important for candidates to participate in the Aug. 8 GOP Straw Poll to help voters like Mike Littzen, a Fort Dodge veteran, who said he's 'still kind of deciding,”

'We have a lot of candidates who will come out and attend events like this, but we're not getting the read on how those candidates are doing,” she said. 'So we really want the grass roots activists to come out and vote on who they want for their candidate.”

Chad Olsen, executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa, welcomed the plug.

'I never had any doubts” about moving the Aug. 8 straw poll to the Boone expo grounds, Olsen said. He acknowledged that seeing the ample parking and the comfort of the crowd made him feel even better about the decision.

Reporters Rod Boshart in Des Moines and Erin Murphy and Lissandra Villa in Boone contributed to this story.