I am just not sure that support for the Iraq war in the midwest and the south necessarily reflects heightened paranoia and xenophobia in those areas. Partisan loyalty rather than straight gung-ho warmongering might explain the divisions in support, most of these areas leaned republican before 9-11 and in the mainstream debate the support for the war has a democrat vs. republican subtext. Couldn't they just be rallying to their party, which was a bit on the defensive when the war started, rather than simply cheering for vengeance? More to the point, I just don't find much informative in your characterization of the heartland residents' attitudes being more prejudicial and hotheaded than citydwellers. Even if its true I wouldn't expect the degree of difference to be all that great. Are there any particular studies or polls that convinced you to the contrary? Having lived in both the northeast and the midwest after 9-11, the gung-ho anti-terror sentiments seem to be pretty well scattered through the population, rural/urban divides haven't served as much of a proxy for me to avoid it.
Oh the capping moment in my shift toward thinking foolishness transcends the urban/rural divide, I saw South Bronx native Fat Joe on MTV cheerleading for our war in Iraq. My urban pride suffered its final blow.