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The Old Iowa Is Gone. The New One Is Doing Okay.

We hear so much about presidential candidates–and so little about life in the states that elect them. In “Beyond the Circus,” writers take us off the trail and give us glimpses of politically important places. Today, Iowa.

Hello. My name is Jennifer Wilson. If we were doing this in person, I’d give you a firm handshake and make eye contact. I was brought up in Colfax, Iowa, and my father taught me that this is the proper way to greet people. I have found that he was correct.

I’ve tried living in …