Every first Saturday in August, The Gong Show made some good old fashioned political stomp.

Speaking at the fancy farm picnic in far west Kentucky, a tradition that started in the 1930s with political candidates trading barbs on a flatbed truck in front of a rowdy crowd.

Has, over time, become the unofficial kick off of fall campaign season.

And Kentucky political sneaking organizer Stephen Elder talked with me yesterday about why the event is still relevant in the digital age and who will and who won't be there.

Stephen Elder, the Fancy Farm political Speaking Chairman.

It's good to connect with you.

Thank you for your time.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Why is Fancy Farm still relevant in 2024?

Yeah, it's a great question.

You know what I enjoy about the fancy farm picnic is that it allows your constituents to get really close to your elected officials, your candidates.

It's building that grass roots roots base within this region specifically.

So it's a way that both sides can kind of come together, shoulder force, share ideas, just kind of rally the troops.

And you can do that through social media and other things of that nature.

But there's nothing like old, old time stump speech being old time, you know, handshaking, getting out there among the people.

And just to show them who you are.

And I think we have a great venue at Fancy Farm that allows that tradition to continue.

We've been doing it for 144 years now.

So it's just it's it's probably a lost art and a lost tradition of other parts of the country.

I mean, I think this is probably the last venue where we have both sides come in.

We've heard for several years now.

Stephen, this is not new to you that democratic participation and fancy farm political speaking event has diminished over the years as their influence and presence has diminished on certain stages.

So talk to us about that.

Yeah, you know, the positive thing about Fancy Farm is that it's one of those places where both sides can can participate and come together.

It's where you share that one stage of Republicans and Democrats.

And it's this is what happened probably 40, 50 years ago.

Very few Republicans, you know, were registered in Graves County that would actually come to the to the picnic.

But they still they still came because Democrats really had a stronghold there.

And over that time, it has kind of transitioned from more Democrats to more Republicans.

And so we still I think if you if you don't show up at Fancy Farm, you don't have that same sense of enjoyment of seeing, you know, kind of each other roasting each other and, you know, pick at each other just a little bit.

So, you know, that's what we want to be a nonpartisan picnic and we want both sides to attend.

But this year, it is tilted heavily to the Republican Party.

Again, mostly because our constitutional officers, our senators and others are registered and part of the Republican Party.

So we've tried to do the best that we can to get Democratic support and people there to speak on behalf of the Democrats, because there are several people in and around this region that want to hear from them as well.

And if you don't come to Fancy Farm, it's hard to continue to build that grassroots support that you need for that next campaign that you want to run.

Well, one of the interesting things, part of the political roster or speaking roster is the fact that you have some Sarah Goods who are going to speak for and against the school choice amendment that will be on the November ballot.

And correct me if I'm wrong, Stephen, this is the first time there's been an intentional opportunity for a pro con about a constitutional amendment.

Why this time around?

Yeah, you know, there's one thing I won't do is correct.

Renee Schaal So I'm not real sure if that's but I think that you're correct.

I don't remember in recent memory where we've had like an amendment type of proposal that's on our ballot.

So we look throughout the state, you know, for issues that that people want to hear from.

And so this, I think, is one of the hot button issues that is going to be on the ballot in offensive form as well as the other parts of the state.

And, you know, Fancy Farm had a challenge.

We almost lost our elementary school there in town where they were going to merge years ago.

So Fancy Farm is probably elementary school is the largest employer there and fancy farm.

So schools are very important to us.

And we've seen that both sides wanted to aggressively get out and talk to the voters and tell why you should support the amendment or why you should be against it.

And what better place than in Fancy Farm to do that?

So we reached out to the two representatives to come and speak for and against.

I think it's that's going to be a great issue to watch and observe and allow them to get their message out.

Well, thank you.

We wouldn't miss it so we're so glad to be able to share it with others.

And the best of you, Stephen Elder, you all do a tremendous job and we appreciate you so very much.

Stay cool.

Yeah.

Thank you.

And I.