(WHAS11) -- Traditions continued at the Kentucky Farm Bureau's Country Ham Breakfast Thursday morning at the Kentucky State Fair, with the ham auction prededed by candidates for elected office met by gaggles of reporters and photographers
Before some 1600 people feasted on the country ham, eggs, biscuits and sorghum, politicians lined up to shake their hands.
With a longtime Mitch McConnell aide at his side, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul appeared to make a concerted effort to engage in traditional campaigning that has not come as naturally to the first time candidate compared to Democratic opponent Jack Conway, the Attorney General and former congressional candidate.
Yet, on this political day, Paul arrived a half hour before Conway, staking a claim to a prime handshaking spot just inside the gate for people making their way into the breakfast. Conway supporters stood on the opposite side, distributing anti-Paul leaflets.
The Bowling Green opthamologist was anxious to put to rest any repercussions from an Associated Press story that quoted him saying that drug abuse was "not a real pressing issue" in the campaign.
"The whole thing got blown out of proportion because it was a misquote to begin with," Paul said.
But Conway, who eventually stood his ground directly opposite Paul in the breakfast line, says his campaign is gaining traction in the wake of Paul's comments. And, Conway is repeating the quote, often.
Asked if the drug abuse issue is the 'silver bullet' to stop the phenomenon of Rand Paul, Conway said "There is no silver bullet. There are silver bullets, plural. The guy - my opponent Rand Paul - does not fundamentally get the Commonwealth of Kentucky."
Paul, however, says he does understand voters' concerns.
"I think the mood of the country is very much against the president's policies," Paul said, "and thinks that the President has gone too far in growing the government."
And what if the will of the people is in favor of federal involvement, as it currently is coordinated with efforts in Kentucky to fight drug abuse?
"I think, basically, you run on a position. People elect you or don't elect you."
Paul wants to change the storyline of this campaign, away from the roles of the federal vs. local governments in fighting drug abuse, to Conway's support of the national Democratic agenda.
And Paul is now getting help to that end, as outside, national groups take sides in the race. In addition to $500,000 in television ads paid for by Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies attacking Conway's support of "ObamaCare," at least one other special interest group is expected to begin airing commercials within days.
Paul was asked about the influence of such outside groups.
"The issues of the day are the debt and government overspending," Paul responded, "and I think really nobody can shift the debate either way. I think the people are concerned about too much government, too much debt."
"This fits into a larger theme that he doesn't fundamentally understand what the people of Kentucky need," Conway said.
If the theme of Conway's campaign is, as Conway suggests, defining Rand Paul, does that runs the risk of Conway making the campaign all about the Republican candidate?
"I think we have to get out on the trail and tell Kentuckians what we believe and what we would do as a United States Senator. And I'm looking forward to debates if he'll debate me. I'm looking forward to his answers to your questions if you'll go over there and ask him the same questions you've asked me and see if he gives you the time that I'm giving you."
Meanwhile, Conway's primary rival Daniel Mongiardo, in his first interview since his lukewarm endorsement of Conway right before Fancy Farm, said that his endorsement is all about stopping Rand Paul.
"I think him up there in Washington would make us a laughingstock," Mongiardo said.
So, is the endorsement more about stopping Paul than supporting Conway?
"You know, Jack and I have had our differences," Mongiardo continued, "those were well publicized. You guys publicized those differences. I still have differences with some of Jack Conway's positions, but I have a lot of differences with Rand Paul's positions."
Mongiardo pointed to the Paul "not a real pressing issue" quote about drug abuse as a factor in endorsing all Democrats running for office, including Conway. The quote, however, was not printed until after Mongiardo released his endorsement.
Speaking to the breakfast crowd and echoing Paul's sentiments, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said the mid-term election offers an opportunity for a course correction for the Obama administration. McConnell said to applause that "cap and trade" legislation favored by the Obama administration is "dead in the U.S. Senate," yet cautioned that the Democratic administration might attempt to "get it through on its own."
