I recently visited my old hometown of Dysart, Iowa (population 1,379), to meet my adorable new niece and learn about hunting in preparation for a book I’m writing.

I’ve lived near Spokane, Washington, for a decade now, and although I know Iowa hosts the nation’s first presidential caucus, I’d forgotten just how ubiquitous the presidential campaigns there are. With a little less than a year to go until the next election, the state is already bombarded with political ads. My first reaction upon seeing them was a sort of exasperation. I almost wished we could skip the election and save ourselves from months and months of partisan bickering.