like so many other so called conservatives Iowa's supposed rock ribbed republicans have fallen for the lies and misleading propaganda of their party.

When once Iowans totally believed in education, we watch our ranking in education tumble like a rock lower and lower as Republicans slowly dismantle our education systems and blame it on the teachers and unions. We watch our environment slowly crumble and do nothing that could possibly bother the merchants of the farm chemicals. We mistrust our neighbors and treat outsiders with contempt. A far cry from the wave and howdy I grew up with.

The big changes in attitudes came with Reagan and Branstad. The occasional Dem at terrace Hill really hasn't changed direction.

Now we are watching Branstad dismantling Medicaid while his party cheers him on, same with our regent's institutions.

Iowans have become tribal just like the rest of the country. Republicans stand behind and watch their leaders tear down what was built over a long time by their forefathers - and cheer the likes of King, Grassley, Branstad and Ernst.

Iowa's "values" are now closer to Mississippi than Minnesota. We have lived here all our lives and are now actually considering moving. Except for the few blue dots in the red sea, Iowa is no longer Iowa.

I have always wanted to move to Canada, but that won't happen as long as my wife is alive.
Mostly it will depend on where our kids land permanently if they ever do.

through Iowa last year in spring. Stayed in Iowa city for a few days. School was out. I know that towm is not representative of IA. people were nice. First time, I've been through it. I found the landscape soothing. Supermarkets were expensive and pretty much sucked, at least where I was. Housing was ugly except for the historical district.

Random... one thing that I find pretty stupid and awful.... the city destroyed all these nice brick buildings by letting people make really crappy second rate murals on them.

Yeah, I know, completely different kinds of states. We'll see in a year or two how it plays out.

Usually the blue are the cities and the red are rural. Even in the south that is true.
We have relatives in the Twin Cities and it is pretty nice there.

Education and health care get punched and choked but but we can manage to shower an Egyptian fertilizer plant with millions of dollars.

If I could have I would've packed up and moved to Minnesota right then and there.

There are times I still want to move up to the Twin Cities.

They'll still vote for him even after he said, ‘How stupid are the people of Iowa?’

It's disheartening to see what has happened to this state.