Obama’s Visit Cost Beer Stand Owner $25,000

by Tim Brown

Once again we see that Barack Obama is not putting money in people’s pockets but taking it from them. He’s not helping them build their business in any sense of the phrase, but rather taking business from them. Not only is the DNC’s convention in Charlotte, North Carolina going to deprive business owners of business, but recently a famous beer stand at the Iowa State Fair said that Barack Obama’s visit on Monday evening cost him as much as $25,000.

USA Today reports,

The Bud Tent, which has been serving fair goers for 65 years, had to be shut down to the public during the presidential drop-in; patrons had to be screened and scanned before being allowed entry.

The Bud Tent was required to shutdown at one of the most lucrative times of day as the Secret Service took their time getting Barack Obama’s motorcade and bus on the road.

Mike Cunningham II, the third generation owner of the 65-year-old Bud Tent told the Des Moines Register what happened and the paper reports,

On one hand, Cunningham, 39, appreciated the historical significance of Obama’s visit: His great-grandfather, Lloyd Cunningham, was secretary of the fair board from 1942 to 1962 and was on hand to greet then-President Dwight Eisenhower when Ike visited the centennial fair in 1954 with Iowa’s own President Herbert Hoover in tow. (That was the first of four visits by sitting presidents, followed by Gerald Ford in 1975, George W. Bush in 2002 and Obama on Monday.)

On the other hand, the small business owner side of Cunningham fumes that the president “put a damper on what I’m trying to do here.” His Bud Tent was shut down at the most lucrative time of day, with a popular rock cover band, Hairball, about to perform at the Susan B. Knapp Amphitheater next door ­ with legions of thirsty fans.

“I was in a position to make a campaign donation against my will,” said Cunningham, a Republican.

Cunningham played the gracious host during the president’s visit ­ — smiled, posed for photos, raised a beer with Obama, gifted him a “Save Water; Drink Beer” T-shirt.

Hmmmm, interesting don’t you think? Cunningham believes he was forced to make a donation against his will. Yeah, I’d say that’s a huge donation.

I should point out the Obama did pay for his own beer and offered to buy a round of ten for fairgoers. He wouldn’t buy a beer for a Romney supporter who was holding a Romney sign. I do wonder if it might have been taxpayer money though.

While Barack Obama was not interested in reimbursing Cunningham for his loss, a fellow vendor at the fair did allow him to set up a Bud beer station near the amphitheater stage so that he was able to recoup some of the money lost.

This just goes to show you that business owners like Mike Cunningham do build their own businesses, but the government can sure help tear them down.

About Tim Brown