On the road with Bob Graham

Text and photos by Jamie Francis of the Times

The temptation is to write it off as one massive cliche, shined and shellacked to bend public opinion. A politician and 19 members of his family motor across the Corn Belt, stopping the RVs long enough to visit a 600-pound cow made of butter, to play ball on the Field of Dreams and to march in the State Fair parade.

But for Bob Graham, the nine-day family vacation and campaign swing through Iowa, which concluded Aug. 14, was as real as it gets: an opportunity to be with his family and introduce them to the country. And for Iowans it was another chance to display their genuine affection for democracy and their devotion to an informed choice.

Bob Graham closes his eyes and lifts them toward the sun in Iowa before being interviewed by NBC Nightly News.

[Times photo: Jamie Francis]