Communism

certainly a liberal take, as a poor who escaped from flyover country...most of em arent (completely) dumb or somehow incapable of seeing their position in life, though the conservative propaganda machine does a damn thorough job of obfuscating things..

most have just given up on things ever getting better, accepting their lot and just doing what they can to make a better life for their kids or other loved ones.

people move out to flyover country to "raise kids" and/or waiting to die in relative peace. the ones raising kids expecting rural america to be better than city america generally have a very sobering moment of disillusionment when they finally find out most of these chucklefuck towns are even more corrupt/locked down than the cities.