by Jason George
IOWA CITY -- In many ways, Dr. Siroos Shirazi appears an ordinary Iowa voter -- he's got a campaign sign in his front yard, an SUV in his driveway and a family farm beyond the edge of town. But just ask the good doctor where he was born and his "average Iowan" credentials go right out the window.
"When people ask me where I'm from I say 'the axis of evil,'" the 68-year-old Iranian-American surgeon said with a laugh.
Iowa and Iran -- it's hard to find two places more different, and more discussed, this campaign season. During the first week of December, the 2008 presidential race and Iran were the most written-about news stories, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, which tracks media coverage.
Yet for the 700 or so Iranian-Americans who call Iowa home, like Shirazi, the Jan. 3 caucuses and the focus on Iran constitute one story, an intersection of their past lives and their collective future. It's a life in two worlds that can create unusual experiences: One day you're labeled the enemy, the next day you're courted for your vote.
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