For the last 40 years, the election map that went county by county showed massive red area compared to smaller blue around big cities. Even California, Washington, and Oregon are much more red than blue. Ever since WWII, the country has gotten more urban and rural people feel left out. Rubes, if you will. Often I find that city folks have totally lost touch with the roots...where there food comes from, small town values, faith, etc. There are other issues that divide us, but unlike slavery, JR, they aren't localized to a certain group of states like slavery, which it made it relatively easy to break apart and fight. Abortion for instance. It divides our country, but how do you have a civil war about it? So it just tears us and polarizes us.