When Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst rode into her inaugural “Roast and Ride” event in Boone, Iowa on her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the attention was centered on her.

But once the seven GOP presidential hopefuls filed in behind, Ernst made sure not to hog the stage.

The seven White House hopefuls who spoke at the event included former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Rick Perry 

Perry’s message: America’s freedoms are the greatest in the world, and Americans need to fight for them every day. 

“You deserve a president who will wake up every day, go to that oval office and defend American values,” Perry said. “And if you elect me president of the United States, that’s exactly what I will do for you.”

Perry said he is optimistic about the future of America and said the country is a few good policy changes and a leadership change at the top from the greatest days in America’s history.

“We made it through Jimmy Carter, we’ll make it through the Obama years,” Perry said. “And we’ll do it by using American and North American energy. It’s time for America to be energy secure and use North American energy.” 

Scott Walker

Walker’s message: In America, we celebrate our independence from the government, not our dependence on it. 

“We need people in Washington D.C. who are going to fight, so that every American can live their piece of the American dream,” Walker said.  

Walker said Americans should measure success by how many people are no longer dependent on the government.

“We’re one of the few places left in the world where it doesn’t matter what class you were born into, it doesn’t matter what you’re parents did for a living,” Walker said. “In America, the opportunity is equal for all, but the outcome is still up to each and every one of us.” 

Carly Fiorina

Fiorina’s message: We have a lot of problems in this country, we have a lot of wounds. But the truth is, every problem can be solved [and] every wound is self-inflicted. 

Fiorina said everyone in America has potential and usually far more than they realize, but too much of that potential is being crushed, squandered and wasted. 

“We need a leader in the White House who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo,” Fiorina said. 

Fiorina said America needs someone who understands how the economy and world work. 

Lindsey Graham

Graham’s policy as commander in chief: Whatever it takes, as long as it takes to defend everybody in this country.    

“I’m not too tired to defend this country, are you?” Graham asked the crowd. “I’m tired of leading from behind. I want to lead from the front. I want America to come back.”  

Graham said America needs a president who’s willing to work with Democrats when it makes sense. 

“I’m running as a Republican, but if I get to be president it’s going to be for all of America,” Graham said.  

Ben Carson

Carson’s message: America’s $18.5 trillion national debt is not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is the fiscal gap. 

“You look at what we owe in the future, in terms of social security, Medicare [and] all the other unfunded liabilities. And you look at the receipts that we’re likely to get with our taxes — that gap gets wider every year,” Carson said. “And you’re pushing into $100, $200 trillion.”

Carson said America needs to start thinking about the problem now, and needs to get people who actually understand something about the economy. 

“When you look at America and the fabric of America, the strength of America — it is small businesses,” Carson said.  

Marco Rubio

Rubio’s message: There isn’t a country in the world I would trade places with.

“Despite all the challenges we have, there isn’t a nation on earth that I look at and say to myself, ‘I wish I was them instead of us,'” Rubio said.

Rubio said the economy today is not the same one that existed 20 years ago when America competed against each other. Now, America competes against dozens of other countries around the world for the best jobs, for the best companies and for the best ideas.

He also said radical jihadists are taking over the cities once liberated at the price of American lives, and often times they’re doing it with the weapons Americans left behind.      

Mike Huckabee

Huckabee’s message: I want to become president because I want to create jobs in America for Americans. 

Huckabee said if the rest of the country had been as smart as Iowa when he won Iowa in 2008 America would not be in the trouble it is in now.

Huckabee also took a jab at President Obama.

“Just this morning it was announced that the biggest blockbuster of the summer is coming out starring Barack Obama,” Huckabee joked. “It’s a Disney picture [and] it’s called, ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Economy.'”