10 Presidential Election Small Business Fails

It's the kind of photo-op every presidential hopeful dreams of: Side by side with a mom and pop inside their shop.

Voters look at such images and see a candidate who is a friend of Main Street, a defender of the little guy, a true advocate for the middle class, the thinking goes.

But what happens when those visits to businesses along the campaign trip go horribly wrong? Like, say, your staffers trash the place, you mistakenly insult a local delicacy or you don't have the money to pay the bill. All that and more has happened to presidential candidates who try to capitalize on America's love for small business by stepping out of Washington and mingling with the nation's entrepreneurs.

Here are some of the most cringe-worthy small business campaign gaffes:

Romney Staff at Iowa Cafe: "Stuff Got Broke"

Presidential Small Business Fails

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot