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The great political divide: rural and urban voters

  • Scott LaMar

 Matt Rourke/Patrick Semansky / AP Photo

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Airdate: Monday, October 4, 2021

Drive through rural Pennsylvania and there’s still a good chance you’ll see a Trump 2020 sign or flag or even a Trump 2024 sign. In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump dominated the rural areas of the country and got more votes than when he won over Hillary Clinton in 2016.

However, Democrat Joe Biden won 91 of the nation’s 100 most populated counties and gained voters in the suburbs around those cities.

The U.S. is divided politically between rural and urban areas.

On Monday’s Smart Talk, we delve into why this divide exist. Are there issues that rural and urban residents see entirely different? What impact will changing demographics have on future elections?

Appearing on Monday’s Smart Talk are Dr. Stephen Medvic, director of Franklin and Marshall College’s Center for Politics and Public Affairs and The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government at F&M and Dr. Lonce Bailey, Associate Professor of Political Science at Shippensburg University.

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