John Edwards and Hillary Clinton appear to be taking a page from the small-town election playbook by bringing their parents into their Iowa campaigns.A new Edwards video about his rural policy platform features several comments from his parents, Bobbie and Wallace Edwards, including dad's advice to "never start a fight, but never walk away from one."Clinton's mother is the focus of the New York senator's new ad campaign in Iowa. Dorothy Rodham says her daughter is helpful and empathetic. And, another ad reminds us, 88-year-old Rodham lives with her daughter.These are endorsements that would make any county commissioner candidate proud. And perhaps it's an indication that these and other presidential candidates see appeals to small-town voters as an important part of an Iowa victory strategy.That, or they ran out of babies to kiss.