The Campaign Bus
Bus tours go with politicians like fancy capes go with magicians. It signals to their audience who they're supposed to be: outside-the-Beltway folks who just want to hear the stories of the American people, spread their message and watch those amber waves of grain sail by. President Barack Obama is just about to complete his first tour of the 2012 campaign — a win-their-hearts-and-minds bus tour across the Midwest, which one Republican called the "Blame the Other Guy" tour. Sarah Palin went on a historical bus tour earlier this year, which one liberal mocked as the "Driving Miss Crazy" tour. Conservative groups, including the Tea Party and the Republican National Committee, have also made their mark with trips like the "Fire Pelosi" bus tour. All these tours have served as a reminder that political busing often comes with an equal amount of fussing.