Labor Day marks the traditional beginning to the fall campaign season. But area Democrats and Republicans couldn’t wait this year, holding large gatherings over the weekend to build support a week ahead of the summer-ending holiday.

Democrats met in St. Joseph on Friday and Saturday nights for the 14th annual Northwest Missouri Central Labor Council barbecue. Republicans convened at McCorkle Park in Cameron, Mo., for the Grand Ol’ Picnic hosted by 6th District Congressman Sam Graves.

Fellowship and food seemed in ample supply, but political talk prevailed. Here’s what some of those present had to say:

Sam Graves, seeking a fifth term in the U.S. House, said Republican are picking up momentum as autumn approaches.

“(Democrats are) dreaming if they’re hanging on to something that doesn’t make any sense. In fact, what we have seen lately is things have been turning around. This energy issue is turning it around more than anything else. Their opposition (is) to what is a real solution. ...

“Every race is going to be individual. But I think we’re going to be in pretty good shape. (Democrats) are so out of touch with the country, and this energy issue is a perfect example. Opposition to drilling, opposition to nuclear power, opposition to all these things, it’s really hurt them. People are tired of them worrying about the caribou or worrying about whatever it is, and they want some energy solutions. That’s the issue that’s really changed things.

“If you look at the national level too, Obama is taking on water. People are seeing him for what he really is. That obviously is an indicator of the mood of the country.”

Kay Barnes, a former Kansas City mayor looking to unseat Mr. Graves, talked to the Democrats in her native St. Joseph.

“We have taken away Sam Graves’ incumbent advantage in fundraising. We have raised a little more than $2 million. We need to raise over a million more. ... (In the last quarter), he had 300 and some contributors and we had over 2,000. ...

“You know as well as I do that this country is in trouble. And we have to get back on the correct track. We don’t have the luxury of continuing in the way that we have in the last eight years. You all know that. I know that. And yet we have to do some persuasion, we have to do convincing to be sure that enough people understand that, that they’re willing to go to the polls on Nov. 4 and make the kinds of decisions that will enable this country to move forward, to get back to the point where we can move into the future with the American dream as we all have known it. ...

“We happen to have been born into this point in history when it’s up to us.”

Jay Nixon, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, had not been scheduled to speak at the labor barbecue, but he made a surprise appearance Saturday night.

“I’m running against a guy who has embraced Matt Blunt’s health care cuts, agreed that we should turn down $1.5 billion of your tax dollars, which has caused our uninsured rate to go up at three times the national average and you to pay $2,000 more (for health care). That’s wrong. He calls that forward thinking. That’s backward thinking. ...

“Twenty-six weeks ago when he started this campaign, the first day he was on the stump he said I’ve got a detailed health-care plan I want to lay out. We’ve been waiting 26 weeks and he hasn’t said one single word to solve any problems with health care for anybody in this state. ...

“Kenny Hulshof has been voting for trade deals or tax breaks or ways to hide your profits in other countries, and it’s cost us 45,000 Missouri jobs. And he wants to be your governor? Come on.”

Mitchell Hubbard, Republican candidate for Missouri secretary of state, made the rounds at the Cameron picnic. He discussed the Republican chances for this November.

“I think Republicans are going to do better. If you look at where we are today as opposed to six months ago, the numbers in the polls show the Republicans are doing a lot better. I think as people really start to understand the issues, where John McCain and Kenny Hulshof stand as opposed to Obama or Jay Nixon, or where I stand as opposed to Robin Carnahan, especially in outstate Missouri, our values are a lot closer to the Republicans and the Democrats than are the Democrats’ values. ...

“Republicans are prepared and ready to do what needs to be done.”

State Rep. Martin Rucker, D-St. Joseph, offered some comments on race and the responsibility of Democrats.

“We have some real strong, staunch dyed-in the-wool Democrats that are not going to vote for the Democratic candidate for president. Now that’s disturbing to me, and it should be disturbing to you. The reason is that the Democratic candidate is African-American.

“Now, I know no one here feels that way, because we’re real Democrats. ... We in Buchanan County and St. Joseph have already proven that it doesn’t matter what color your skin is.

“I would like to stand before you tonight and say that being a Democrat is being a Democrat, and we need a Democrat in the White House. ...

“What’s happened in government is the people we have elected -- I won’t say 'we' have elected, that 'they' have elected -- have forgotten why they were elected. They aren’t representing you and I anymore. They’re representing self-interest. Now I have no problem with big business. But big business doesn’t need to take money out of my pocket so they can survive.”