So the argument is that Democrats have the big cities, Republicans have the exurbs and rural areas. But that brings us back to the “what’s the matter with Kansas?” argument: if Dems actually offered something useful to folks in rural areas — e.g., health care, real support for veterans — those folks might see a reason to vote Democratic. Bernie Sanders does well in rural areas in Vermont, and not just with the hippies. Who besides him is thinking about this?