Why is rural America, on average, more conservative than urban America?

[Freeper]

YoungDemCA (764 posts)

Why is rural America, on average, more conservative than urban America?


 
Especially considering that urban/metropolitan counties are, on average, wealthier than rural counties.

Is there a difference between the way each individual economic class votes in urban and rural areas? In other words, are rich people in rural areas more conservative, on average, than rich people in urban areas, and likewise with middle-class and poor people in rural areas?

This is something that I kind of scratch my head about. Is it reflective of a broader cultural divide? What are some of the real reasons? I mean, it's easy to say "rural people are less educated/ignorant so they vote Republican" but that's a crass stereotype (not to mention really, really condescending to rural Americans).

So what do you think the reasons are? Any insights from rural DU'ers, past or present?

Please no bashing of rural (or urban) areas here. 

http://sync.democraticunderground.com/10022594597

It's very simply why this is, city people are dependent on someone else for everything in their life, so they are drawn to those who promise them more goodies for their vote. Rural people are more dependent on themselves, they don't sit in the dark waiting for FEMA trucks when a storm hits.
Because they are independent and take care of themselves they think that everyone else is just as capable as they are. They resent it when you take their hard earned money and use that to pay people not to work.

cali (78,276 posts)
1. I haven't the slightest idea

I live in an anomaly. Vermont is almost entirely rural and overwhelmingly liberal. But it also has the highest high school graduation rate and is the least religious state.

That baffles me too, then again they are probably liberal compared to Texas, but would be conservatives in San Francisco.

ZombieHorde (23,229 posts)
2. Good question.

Urban areas are more diverse than rural areas, but I doubt that is the only reason, if it is a reason.

That's it you country bumpkins are a bunch of racists. 

YoungDemCA (764 posts)
3. That's probably part of it...

But then that begs the question..."why are urban areas more diverse than rural areas?"

Because certain groups have been herded into the cities and promised EBT cards, medicaid, and free 0bama phones. Why live out in the country where you would have to work?

Cleita (63,194 posts)
4. They all go to church because that's where they find community and

in turn their churches indoctrinate them. Having been both a city and a rural dweller, this is the best reason I can come up with.

Well the democrats have used the black churches to indoctrinate black folks for a long time now. You never hear whining about separation of church and state when a Democrat uses a church as a campaign stop.

Auggie (15,956 posts)
5. Probably a combination of many things like ...

education, peer pressure, isolationism, willful ignorance.

Yet these ignorant people will survive when the system collapses and all you sooper geniuses will die waiting for FEMA trucks.

LiberalLoner (5,202 posts)
7. I think a lot of it comes down to ignorance, lack of curiosity. When I think rural I

Think Sarah Palin. I've known a fair number of liberals in Montana but also far, far, far too many Palins who are proud of their ignorance and proud that they don't waste time reading or going to college.

yet she is rich and you are not.

[NHSparky]

Says the DUmmie who calls himself Liberal Loner.  Gee, ever think about WHY you're a loner?

[longview]

I agree with the more independent theory.  You have to be to survive in rural areas.  I'll stay and be grateful.

That doesn't mean that there aren't those who need and get various forms of assistance to live here.  But, they generally need that assistance for legitimate reasons.  Not just want it, which is something I see in cities where I have to travel or have lived.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I agree with the more independent theory.  You have to be to survive in rural areas.  I'll stay and be grateful.

Me too.  There is a bit of a self-selection aspect too, people like me and some of the rest of us who voluntarily moved to rural areas to get away from the culture of dependency, zoning laws, HOAs, intrusive regulation, and all the other negatives of sardine living.

[Freeper]

We have an answer, Nads showed up and as a trained historian told everyone why rural people are a bunch of knuckle dragging freepers.

nadinbrzezinski (117,954 posts)
18. Several reasons

1.- Population density

2.- Church attendance and level of religiosity

3.- Homogenous population

4.- occupational profiles

5.- Average education levels.

6.- We don't like to talk about this, but rural populations are far more stratified and caste like, yup, people know their place.

There you go the country bumpkins all know their place. 

[Carl]

How about because we are not helpless and take pride in making our way through life.

[NHSparky]

Especially considering that urban/metropolitan counties are, on average, wealthier than rural counties.

With a corresponding cost of living.  Prithee, DUmmies, how much does your basic suburban starter home in LA or Orange County cost?  Ditto San Fran, Seattle, Chicago, NYC, etc?

Now take that cost and see what it gets you in my neck of the woods.  I moved out from a OC crackerbox on a 3000 sq. ft. lot (you read that right--45X65 lot) and for 1/3 the cost of what I sold my McMansion for, got a house that is 400 sq. ft. larger on over an acre--not a lot by local standards, but ask yourself how much that would cost you in an urban area.

And pay taxes on it.

[JohnnyReb]

We have an answer, Nads showed up and as a trained historian told everyone why rural people are a bunch of knuckle dragging freepers.

There you go the country bumpkins all know their place. 

More country bumpkins have "a place" than do DUmmies.

[GOBUCKS]

Vermont is almost entirely rural and overwhelmingly liberal.

Some leftist ideas are easier to swallow if no one within a hundred miles looks like 0bama's son.

[NHSparky]

VT is NOT an outlier.  VT is a classic example of leftist infiltration.  Most of VT as little as 40 years ago was quite conservative.  But then the liberals trying to escape their leftist shitholes invaded VT in places like Brattleboro, etc., and brought their way of life with them.

What?  You don't have streetlights in the middle of nowhere?  This cannot stand!  We must raise taxes to pay for them! 

And so it went.  Now we have many examples of the virus that is liberalism spreading like the disease it is.

[Conservative Libertarian]

I live 13 miles from any town. My wife is from Iran, my niece who lives with us is from Iran, My next door neighbor lady is from Egypt, another neighbor is from the Phillipines, and another is from Korea. I experience more diversity on one day than most DUmmies do in their miserable, envy-ridden lifetimes.

Many of my neighbors are engineers, physicists, and technicians. So, us knuckle-dragging rural people are more eductaed than many DUmmies. Oh wait a minite...DUmmies are educated but their Liberal Art degrees aren't capable of yielding actual careers.

No diversity or educated people out here in Sticksville. We are all Conservative too.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Well maybe I'll stop and have a drink with the retired veterinarian and his girlfriend, the other retired attorney in the neighborhood, tomorrow, while I'm riding around with the old cowboy who lives up the road, a bit down from the retired NASA engineer with the airstrip in his pasture.

 

[Rachel]

Most likely to the social and economic values people in rural areas have which tend to lean towards being more conservative than those in urban areas. Whilst American cities are full of innovation, wealth and knowledge, it is centered around a small area of a city's downtown, compared to much of a city which is degenerate slums where people most likely have much worse living conditions than in rural areas.

[Mr Mannn]

DUmmies are so mired in propaganda that they will never see the truth. They will never see rural America as people. Because Rural Americans dare to disagree, liberals must demonize them and will find ways to oppress them. Such is the way of tyrants.

[USA4ME]

YoungDemCA

Why is rural America, on average, more conservative than urban America?

Especially considering that urban/metropolitan counties are, on average, wealthier than rural counties.

This should be a clue to them that conservatism has nothing to do with wealth.  But will it?  No.

It should also be a clue to them that wealthy Democrats could care less if their liberal wing were to fall over dead.  But will it?  No.

As is typical, nads answer is just plain stupid.

.

[Rachel]

This should be a clue to them that conservatism has nothing to do with wealth.  But will it?  No.

It should also be a clue to them that wealthy Democrats could care less if their liberal wing were to fall over dead.  But will it?  No.

As is typical, nads answer is just plain stupid.

.

I don't think these people know how averages work, or have any idea about urban organization. It makes sense to concentrate capital in urban areas because of networking between those with knowledge, power and wealth, as opposed to more rural areas which lack the infrastructure, so looking at the numbers it appears that rural areas are much more deprived than urban areas.

[USA4ME]

I don't think these people know how averages work, or have any idea about urban organization. It makes sense to concentrate capital in urban areas because of networking between those with knowledge, power and wealth, as opposed to more rural areas which lack the infrastructure, so looking at the numbers it appears that rural areas are much more deprived than urban areas.

Well, we've definitely trained the perpetually dependent to flock to the cities if they want their freebies.

.

[Rachel]

Well, we've definitely trained the perpetually dependent to flock to the cities if they want their freebies.

.

That's the problem, alongside cities not being competitive enough. Places like Calgary and Edmonton are what a city should be like, good services, low taxation as well as culture and high level retail. The other problem is the poor education system in deprived urban areas that doesn't get kids into good vocational or academic programs, creating the culture of dependency and a lack of achievement.

[blitzkrieg_17]

While it's been 8 years since I lived in the country, I'll answer: Because we're smarter and have some sense, that's why.

[whiffleball]

I live rurally because I refused to take up residence in the stinky shithole of Atlanta. 

I know my place, Gnads, and it's nowhere you and your ilk.

[BlueStateSaint]

DUmmies are so mired in propaganda that they will never see the truth. They will never see rural America as people. Because Rural Americans dare to disagree, liberals must demonize them and will find ways to oppress them. Such is the way of tyrants.

This.

H5.

[Karin]

How about because we are not helpless and take pride in making our way through life.

It's just as simple as this, the answer in a nutshell.  But, their "brains" are hardwired to read that sentence and not understand it.  It must have something to do with wealth and racism.  It simply must.

[Rebel]

YoungDemCA (764 posts)

Why is rural America, on average, more conservative than urban America?

Wanna compare suburbs to urban areas, dipshit?

[JohnnyReb]

Because white people fled the urban areas..... .....you can't say that...... .......that's racist..... .......even if it is true......

[Ptarmigan]

I see a lot of racial tensions in urban areas. Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Boston, and Chicago come to mind. They have had riots.