National Publicity of Iowa shows the good Midwestern People in the State (Des Moines: school)

[questioner2]

I think the Iowa Caucuses have really shined a positive light on the people in Iowa. As a east coast resident, I get all warm and fuzzy when they show and interview the folks in small town Iowa on National TV. They seem so real and old fashioned. Many remind me of people from my youth from the small town I grew up in the Midwest. Seeing the Iowa people on TV makes me think our country has a chance at survival because they seem so much better than the people here in the urban Northeast.

Are the people in Iowa really like that?

[Chicago60614]

^ Yeah. They tend to interview all these "farmer" types in small town cafes and restaurants. They're definitely trying to go for the stereotype "Iowa" when I see things on TV. Lots of small towns...farms.

For the most part it's very true, Iowans are very grounded, although I haven't seen them showing many of the cities, where a majority of Iowans live. 61% of the state lives in urban areas, mostly the 9 Metropolitan areas of the state, ranging from roughly 100,000 to 600,000. Only around 5% of people in Iowa actually live on a farm, and the remaining 35% live in small towns/in the country. The news media around the country tends to go for the small town aspect of Iowa, since I guess it makes it more "cute" or unique.

The Metropolitan population of Iowa has grown by 100,000 in the past 6 years, while the overall population of the state has only grown by 60,000. Things are definitely changing, but there are still plenty of small towns. They're mostly just slowly shrinking away.

[WoodwardGirl]

Originally Posted by questioner2

Are the people in Iowa really like that?

Yeah, pretty much. I went to see three of the Presidential candidates speak yesterday in Cedar Rapids, which is part of one of those 9 "metropolitan" areas. I got there an hour early at each event to get a good seat, and, of course, got to talking to the total strangers sitting around me. We weren't necessarily supporting the same candidates, but each of those folks was cheerfully willing to tell me why they liked their guy or gal, and then to listen to my thoughts, too. They were earnest, open-minded, and well-educated people, all of whom were from the "town" while I live out in the country (representing that 5%!). The other funny part was that when we played our own "six degrees of separation," we only had to go about 3 degrees before we found someone we'd both worked with, gone to school with, who had lived on our street, etc. Total strangers in an area with a population of 150,000!

As far as the media's focus on the rural locations, who knows why? But I will say that I was seated next to an old guy in bib overalls at one event. Campaign workers put him behind the candidate, so he'd be framed in all the photos, but I got to know him a little bit. The fellow was extremely knowledgeable, far from a hick, and said he wanted to hear all the candidates one last time before he made his decision. His concerns were national and global, and I couldn't help but think about all those folks out there b***** and moaning that Iowa gets to have this big impact while not being representative of the rest of the nation. Let me tell you, if that guy is not representative of the rest of the nation, the nation is the poorer for it!

[El Rhino]

I think large parts of rural Iowa generally have a good culture and like the other posters said, I think they try to play up the Leave It To Beaver factor a bit when they come here, because that's what people expect.


If you're into cultural differences between the Midwest and East Coast, I'd suggest picking up the book "Postville" by David Bloom. It's a true story of a small town in Northeastern Iowa where a decent sized group of Hasidic Jews from NYC come to open a kosher slaughterhouse. The author documents some of the interactions between the two groups, which is kind of funny considering that's going to be the extreme on both ends.

[scimitar12]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

The Metropolitan population of Iowa has grown by 100,000 in the past 6 years, while the overall population of the state has only grown by 60,000. Things are definitely changing, but there are still plenty of small towns. They're mostly just slowly shrinking away.

This is true with just about any agricultural state, whether midwest or not. I think the only two cities growing in Nebraska are Lincoln and Omaha. I would be surprised if any other town is growing. And, some larger cities in Iowa are struggling to grow too. Davenport is at about 98,000 (2005). Its population has drifted around in the mid-90s to 100,000 for almost 20 years.

Reminds me of an old New York Times article that must have come out in the early to mid 1970s. The title was something like "The Buffalo Commons", or something like that. Anyway, the premise of the article stated that the plains states were strugglaing to keep their populations, with the exception of a hand full of cities. Instead of plowing tax dollars to prop up areas of the U.S. that will struggle to maintain what they have, just abandon them to the wild with the exception of large corporate farms.

[Lovethem]

El Rhino,

I just posted likewise on another Postville thread regarding the illegals search there this last week. Fascinating book . . did you read it?

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by Lovethem

El Rhino,

I just posted likewise on another Postville thread regarding the illegals search there this last week. Fascinating book . . did you read it?

Haha, I certainly did...and have thought about it lately due to some recent events I'm sure you're aware of. I'll have to go check that thread out, it's been a little while since I've hit up the immigration forum.

I did think it was funny how the author of the book (a liberal, reformed Jew from San Fransisco) went into it thinking that the townsfolk were xenophobic, mean-spirited and close minded but as the book progressed he ends up agreeing with, or at least being sympathetic to the locals.

I've never actually been to Postville though. I would like to check it out sometime though.

[Lovethem]

I thought the same thing! Oh gosh, how funny. He did start out a sympathetic and turned into acknowledging the problems with their treatment of the 'goyim' ;-) I found his pice refreshing in that his sources were balanced and his journalisic style verifiable, which is rare these days in the media.

It would be a great read to hear what the locals in their diner are saying now, post-annexation, eh?

[mackinac81]

The shriveling midwestern town is a national tragedy. To me Iowa conjures up small towns, cornfields, and good, down to earth people. It would be such a shame to see it go the wayside.

Is there anything being done to encourage the growth of small towns and farming in Iowa? I can't imagine the folks in Des Moines are content to let the countryside die.

I'm from Michigan by the way