Farm subsidies have been around for many, many, MANY decades. Reagan signed them; GHWB didn't, and the farmers went ballistic on him. President Bush knows this; unlike many FREEPERS. Well, even under Slick Willie, we managed to start cutting farm subsidies (1996 Freedom to Farm) and Dubya has just completely reversed that trend, started by a Democrat. But I guess the idea of limited government gets thrown out when, as you say, "the farmers went ballistic on him".
Not necessarily true. The 1996 Freedom to Farm act appears to be a lot of talk and not much walk.
From the Cato Institute. Farm spending has actually dramatically increased starting in 1998 with huge emergency supplemental farm spending. I guess if they're going to spend my tax dollars to subsidise farming I'd just as soon they be up front about it and pass the bill and sign it publically vs sneaking in the emergency spending while we're not paying attention.