Conservatives' Vision of an America Without Cities

By Jeremy Adam Smith, Public Eye. Posted December 12, 2006.

Rural Americans tend to see city culture as a haven for loose morals. Lucky for them, the Electoral College, Senate and federal budget have tilted power toward the heartland.

One Nation, Two Futures?

The formula that emerged from the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections was provocative: The less dense the population, the more likely it was to vote Republican. Republicans appeared to have lost the cities and inner suburbs, positioning themselves as the party of country roads, small towns and traditional values. Though Bush was often mocked for the time he spent on his ranch, sleeves rolled up, gun in hand, the image was widely promoted and became a cornerstone of his identity among Republican voters.