Nation Divided By Class, Geography

[From article]
There have always been differences between rural and urban America, but they have grown vast and deep, and now are an underappreciated factor in dividing the U.S. political system, say politicians and academicians.
Polling, consumer data and demographic profiles paint a picture of two Americas—not just with differing proclivities but different life experiences. People in cities are more likely to be tethered to a smartphone, buy a foreign-made car and read a fashion magazine. Those in small towns are more likely to go to church, own a gun, support the military and value community ties.
[. . .]
"The difference in this country is not red versus blue," said Neil Levesque, director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. "It's urban versus rural."
[. . .]
Today, almost all big cities, even those in red states such as Missouri, Indiana and Texas, favor Democrats for president.
[. . .]
"Politics hangs on culture and lifestyle more than policy,"
[. . .]
Religion remains a dividing line. Urban dwellers are more than three times as likely as rural residents to say religion is "not that important to me," according to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll. Nearly 60% of rural residents say homosexual behavior is a sin compared with 40% of city residents, a Pew Research Center poll found last year.
Economic forces have advanced the split. Companies carefully choose where to locate new stores and who to target with advertising, assisted by a trove of marketing data. The result is rural Americans have a different set of consumer choices than urban residents.

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City vs. Country: How Where We Live Deepens the Nation's Political Divide
Differences Between Rural and Urban America Are Underappreciated Factor in Political Split
By LAURA MECKLER and DANTE CHINNI
Updated March 21, 2014 7:45 a.m. ET