Is it fair to define the ideological divisions in the United States as an urban vs rural battle?

A sense of community is harder to find in urban centers. Many left their towns and came to cities to find employment. Now that manufacturing has chosen to use cheap labor, jobs have moved to countries and states in the U.S. that increase corporate profits. Rising political conservatism in rural and urban communities is the result. Loss of tax revenue is causing social services to decrease, especially in cities. Rural areas, however, are better able provide much of these services through volunteerism.

I think it’s a factor, but only one factor among several. I wouldn’t even rank it in the top 3 of factors, maybe not even top 5, but not far below that. I think religiosity is in the top 3, and so is group behavior.

No. I think that urban versus rural is simply a result (by-product) of a different dynamic.

I think it’s much more progressive versus traditional outlooks on life.

Progressive people migrate to cities, traditionalists generally stay in their rural areas. It’s the type of person (and outlook) – not the location.

Of course to some degree it’s the chicken-and-egg scenario; if the city had nothing progressive and exciting, would people move there?

@elbanditoroso Not necessarily. My rural area is very diverse with old timer families and large generationally held ranches and properties, but, this area was also a mecca for the hippie crowd back in the 70’s especially. Lots of bohemian types that just wanted to escape the rat race and live a simpler, back to nature lifestyle. Yeah, we do have a lot of pot growers out here too. lol

We also have a large population of city slicker transplants from wealthy Bay area and Southern CA. areas, the professional migrants that want to move to the country/mountains with many either being retired or, have the luxury of a home office with some travel time but can be at home the majority of the month. Lots of Silicon Valley and L.A. high tech types that work from home by day and are weekend cowboys and drive around their John Deeres playing country gentleman. haha
What you say me be more true in certain areas of the country, especially the midwest, but, out here in CA. our rural areas are pretty diverse.

Rural America is a small place.

Maybe suburban v. urban would be more accurate.

Rural is small? Quite a lot of people live in rural America. Not the majority, but a number worth noting I would bet.

80.7% Urban
19.3% Rural

US Census

I think there should be separate number for suburbia.

19.3% is pretty big.

Is that what you were getting at? A separate category for suburbia? I misunderstood. I thought you meant suburbia counts more than rural. Or, should be used in lieu of rural.

I think suburban areas vary quite a bit depending how big the city is that the burbs surround, and how far out from the city center.

@JLeslie
Republicans don’t hold the US House and Senate with only rural votes. They have to get a big chunk of the 80.7% and mostly they get that in the suburbs.

I understand. Like I said above I don’t think rural vs. urban is the most significant divide, but I think it counts for something. I really think uber religious causes one of the biggest divides, and that is more likely in rural setting I would think. Although, the suburbs are full of uber religious people, and in our biggest cities and suburbs too.

If rural vs. urbana vs. suburbs is a big factor, I guess rural might be considered like a swing vote.

I think the real divide is between the educated and the uneducated.

Or perhaps, between Fox News viewers and everyone else.

I partly agree with @elbanditoroso. With a dash of compassionate progressives vs. greed.
Greed is the biggest disruptive motive there is. The powerful decide the fate of many with only two thing in their minds. More money, more power. And it can’t be accomplished in a progressive society that believes all men and women should be equal.

Correction. It can be accomplished if the greedy people would be content to just be rich and not stupid rich and realize that real wealth comes from the inside and no amount of money can wipe away douchbaggery. But there are other societies that are being progressive and managing not to bury themselves in a hole. It can be done, if people would just take note.

@elbanditoroso I’ll never forget having a conversation with a guy originally from San Fran, worked almost 20 years in Europe, and then came back to the states to live in Memphis, TN. He was in his early 60’s I think when I had this conversation with him. He said to me during the conversation, “it’s amazing to me that C-level associates (he was a C-level himself) can have advanced degrees and then they have such extremely narrow political views and are teaching bible study in the weekend.” He had a really hard time wrapping his head around it.

I do agree education probably plays a part, but in the south especially many people are raised in religious schools. I wonder if that has an effect?

@JLeslie Everyone will like to think that, but I came to my conclusion by elimination. If you got rid of religion around the world, and educated everyone enough to know what is good for society as a whole, and for the planet.
You will still have people polluting, you will still have people creating war over territory, you will still have those wanting cheap labor and not caring how it comes about or what short cuts are taken that are ruining the environment, and you will still have people who want it all, no matter who it hurts. Because the one thing you can never get rid of without a lobotomy is ego, and greed and you can’t teach compassion and understanding.

One of the reasons I admire the drug cartel before these right wing rich thugs. They both commit crimes and both say they are Christian, but the cartel will tell you out right that they either will kill you because you are in their way of their business, or simply because they wanted to flex their muscles. They don’t pretend and use religion to excuse their crimes. But they make my point. Greed and power will always ensure that there will always be war and struggle to survive. We have never fully emerged from the jungle. Doggy eat doggy world.

@Pandora I wasn’t thinking of things like war in my answer. I was thinking of things like gay marriage (i.e. civil rights) and trying to do things like put prayer in public school, and ignoring the truth about things like the pledge of allegiance was first written without God, and saying the our pledge should not be changed, when that is exactly what was done. Mind you, I’m not overly upset about God being in the pledge, I’m just talking about blind and willful ignorance. Or, going after someone else’s minor children to come to their church.