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DES MOINES – As the first of more than a dozen presidential candidates to drop by the Iowa State Fair, Mike Huckabee mixed the serious with the jovial on Thursday, promising economic growth of 6 percent if elected president, but beginning a speech with a culinary tip.

“Pork chop on a stick,’’ he said. “It’s what’s for lunch, dinner and a snack.’’

Mr. Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, also drew laughs with a jab at Hillary Rodham Clinton. Along with a parade of Republicans who will visit the fair over the next 11 days, there will also be Democrats, he noted. “Hillary probably is not going to come,’’ he said. “She’ll email in her appearances.’’

In fact, Mrs. Clinton is scheduled to come to the fair on Saturday. She will not speak at the political Soapbox on the central artery, for security reasons and, most likely, the difficulty of managing what would be a huge crowd with potentially many hecklers.

Donald J. Trump, for different reasons, will also avoid the relatively cozy Soapbox stage during his expected visit on Saturday. (He is also feuding with the editorial board of The Des Moines Register, which sponsors the Soapbox.)

Mr. Huckabee, the winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, who is running as an economic populist, said 6 percent growth or more — notably upping the ante over Jeb Bush’s promise of 4 percent growth — would be possible through what he calls the Fair Tax, a type of national sales tax. Economists have expressed skepticism at Mr. Bush’s promise of 4 percent growth, so Mr. Huckabee’s 6 percent plan may cause even more raised eyebrows.

Mr. Huckabee said his Fair Tax would encourage businesses to repatriate $11 trillion that they had parked overseas and ignite a national manufacturing boom. “Folks, it’s not enough for us to have an idea and design and create something,” he said. “We have to make the things that we create.”

Besides delivering one more stump speech, candidates who visit the fair are able to mingle casually with Iowans and show off a human side not always evident on the campaign trail. People remember fondly Senator Barack Obama steering a bumper car with one of his daughters in 2007. Less endearing that year was Fred Thompson, a Republican candidate who strolled the fair in a pair of Gucci loafers (though Mr. Thompson claimed the story was apocryphal).

Mr. Huckabee – he wore ostrich cowboy boots, let it be known — also visited the Iowa Pork Tent, where he viewed a rack of sizzling pork chops just as they were lifted from a fire. One of the cooks asked if he’d like a bite.

“Of course I do,’’ Mr. Huckabee said. “You didn’t think I came over here just to say hi to you.’’

When his wife, Janet, sidled up, Mr. Huckabee asked, “Woman, what do you want?’’

“Shares,’’ Mrs. Huckabee said.