Social Security is also more important in rural areas (more likely to be the sole or main means of support) so this is the one domestic issue I'd play up next month if I were a Dem candidate in a rural area.

Dad once raised cattle and sheep in eastern Oregon.  He used to sniff that the farmers were all Democrats and that it was the shoe salesmen in town who were Republicans. [For some unknown reason, shoe salesmen were Dad's equivalent of George Allen's macacas.]

Dad somehow overlooked the royalty in the huge high desert valley whose spread was perhaps more valuable than that of all the rest of the farmers put together. The way to keep the common touch the Lord of the Valley had determined was to eat at least once a week with the ranch hands living in the bunkhouse.  According to my mother, her Ladyship, who was a state Republican chairwoman, used to decry the waste of money on such profligacies as public schools.  The peasantry wanted their kids educated?  They should pay for it themselves.  Public money should be reserved for taking care of the rich.  My mother sometimes exaggerated - a little.

Republicans had dominated the area forever.  Later it turned blue and has since reverted to red. The Democrats, dominated by city elites, long ago wrote off the farm folk.  Dumb move I think.  Lots of votes that could be harvested in rural areas, even among shoe salesmen in town, but Democrats have chosen to let the votes rot on the ground.  Not obvious to me why a city slicker like Howard Dean would initiate change but I applaud one very smart dude. Must be a little country in the lad.

Best,  Terry