You seem to ignore a part of America that while not really hidden was pushed to the background and suppressed. "The Projects" the inner city poor. They are refusing to be ignored now.

Also I don't think "the majority of Americans live in small towns and mid-sized cities." This depends on your definition of mid-sized cities, and anyway you define it mid-sized cities are more like big cities than they are like small towns. Most people live in urban and sub-urban areas and work in cities. They work in service industries, tech business and manufacturing jobs in those industries that don't require skilled labor don't pay enough to support a family in a city. The cost of living is cities is much higher than in small towns or the country side.

Yes, you are correct we are divided by race, gender, and locale. If people put their self-interests first we will not find common ground.

TEK