When our politicians put out the stereotypical image of Iowa and its citizens, I become incomprehensibly embarrassed. And the rest of the nation makes sure we stay embarrassed for a good while. I should say that I have no issue with the rural or farming communities of this great state. The professions they undertake and the way in which they live their lives would both literally and figuratively break me, but that lifestyle is not representative of the Iowa that I, or the majority of Iowans, identify with.

Not only are farmers among the minority of Iowans — 5 percent — but rural living in general does not show the true image of Iowa. According to the United States Census from 2010, 64 percent of Iowans live in urban settings.

Dear Mr. Braley and Mrs. Ernst, I do not care that your father operated a grain elevator, he isn’t on the ballot. You will never convince me that “drinking well water” when you were a child has made you a better Iowan, a better politician or a better person.

Tell me instead why you are the correct choice. Tell me about your plans to better our state and our country. Tell me why you deserve my vote, not why your opponent does not. And if during those explanations you refer to your “small town roots” or your “Iowan values” as they relate to the hogs you castrated or your first job in third grade, you will lose my respect and possibly my vote.

Read Snyder’s full column here.