It is sad. The republicans are driving Iowa over the cliff. I got out when I was young, and while I'm glad I got my education there, I'm sure as hell glad I hit the road at twenty three. I never looked back.

He's sticking around, and I hope he makes a run for Governor or Senator within the next 5 years.

and not the first time it's been mentioned.

He just didn't think the timing was right, and the last election unfortunately showed he was probably right. But he got some good coaching early on. I was with him at a fundraiser in Washington DC several years ago, during his initial campaign for State Auditor, and told him he should really talk to Howard Dean. He said he'd love to, but how does one go about "just talking to Howard Dean?"

I said, "well, in your case, like this." I pulled out my phone, dialed Howard, gave him a brief rundown on who Rob was, and asked if he would talk to him. Howard said, "sure put him on." I pulled Rob over, and said, "Rob, here's Howard." I thought they were going to talk for five minutes. They talked for over half an hour. I don't know what they said, but Rob DID win his election (his first for State Auditor) that fall.

The GOP tried awfully hard to get him out of office.

I think he made the right choice to stick with auditor for another term but the Dem nomination is his if he wants it. I know a lot of us would like him to run for Gov.

Won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for his editorials.

There is a great documentary about him, his brother and the struggle for survival of a rural newspaper in Iowa. It's called "Storm Lake," and it's worth a watch.

and 4 of them went to the University in Iowa City where they lived. The fifth went to school in Wyoming to become an auto mechanic. Two are PhD chemists ( like their father, my brother). The one girl teaches dance. None of them live in Iowa.
Two live in Colorado, one in California, one in Wisconsin, and one in Texas. The two PhD's are Democrats. The two who live in Colorado are Republicans like their parents, and I suspect the girl who lives in Texas--and married her middle school boyfriend without ever dating anyone else--is a Republican. Her husband's parents are very good friends with her parents and they often all vacation together. But the parents don't live in Iowa any longer, either (California and Wisconsin).

We have two daughters, both long gone who would never live in Iowa again. Both have lived in different parts of the country and have said Iowa would be the last place they would pick in the US.

It is just fucking toxic here any more. I keep looking at maps to see if Iowa has squeezed itself between Mississippi and Alabama.