And whose family famed in So. IL eight generations back, this is so true. The county I'm from couldn't be redder.

I visited with some of my parents' friends from when they were in high school (in late 50s/early 60's). One person's opinion of Hillary as President? "Well, at least she is white." Now you know why I don't live there. Sad thing is I may be moving back, but that's another story....

My Dad is retired and cash rents his land, but a lot of the farmers he knows complain loudly about 'welfare' while cashing their subsidy checks and buying the latest and greatest combine. None of them have a good thing to say about the government, almost as if they don't know where those checks come from.

These so called Social Religious issues were used as wedge issues in the late 70's by the Rethugs. Mention none other Allen Quist and his organizing of the Rural Counties in South Central Minny. His most favorite platform was the Lutheran Church. And he and his Cabel worked it to no end. Traveled southen Minny during time frame,calling on Business and Industry,and one could see the change to a fear and distrust of those Liberal Twin City people. Got to remember,all these Rural areas had nothing to offer their children as far as job security other than Farming. And with the foreclosures that were happening,the communities bought into these false promises and when you continues to blame the Straw Man for your problems,well you see the results.

the farm is still in the family though he never farmed it, just rented the land out. (And both uncles are gone now.)

Years ago my mother's brother (Uncle 2), who turned Republican, something most of us couldn't understand started to get into over politics pretty strongly. Uncle 2 finally said he couldn't understand how anyone cold vote for a Democrat (Wellstone and/or Dayton were probably the big issue here. Uncle 1, who had been sitting quietly finally spoke up and said "My dad always said we would have lost the farm if not for Roosevelt, so I became a Democrat. I can't understand how anyone out here can be a Republican."

Then my aunt chimed in and reminded Uncle 2 that their dad had had PWA jobs and they had had food on their table as kids because of the Democrats and she could name a lot of people in town who wouldn't have gotten through the Depression if not for FDR.

It didn't change Uncle 2 at all - but you do have to wonder why rural areas have always been so Republican -- even during the New Deal.

We've seen rural people, many in Texas and other red counties, who live on disability payments and, of course, in due course they have Medicare. Yet they still hate Obama.

We've seen and heard Klobuchar and Franken and Ellison.

And in today's strib there was a photo of the delegation delivering the votes. Yet I have not seen any mention nor picture of the other Democrats: Wallz, McCollum and Peterson.

I also think this has a lot to do with it, from the OP:

In California, farmers are dealing with both nitrate regulations and ground water usage regulations for the first time. Both are still in the preliminary stages, but the process has begun, particularly with the nitrate regulations.

ETA: Both are necessary.