"The country's demographics are on the movement's side. Megachurch culture is spreading. The exurbs where religious conservatism thrives are the fastest growing parts of America; in 2004, 97 of the country's 100 fastest-growing counties voted Republican. The disconnection of the exurbs is a large part of what makes the spread of Christian nationalism's fictitious reality possible, because there is very little to conflict with it."
Near where I live, there is a stunning example of the speed of exurban growth. Just a few years ago, New Milford's Route 202 cut through farmland, produce stands, and tiny outposts of light industry. (The most distinctive feature was a large plot devoted to a weekly flea market.) Now it is chock-a-block with fast food joints, strip malls, and various big-box structures, including a new high school, a Wal-Mart, and the Faith Church Family and Community Life Center. (Within its own big box, the Center plans a cappuccino/ice cream shop, a fun zone with arcade games, and a theater with more than 100 seats. It already offers daycare programs.) All this to serve a surge of residential development, which is attracting people who would otherwise be priced out of Fairfield County.
http://flickr.com/photos/emizael/57624071/in/set-1205968/
http://www.faithchurchct.com/about/history.html
Other sights: Flags. Banners (Support Our Troops). Signs (Proud to Be an American). A lot of pick-up trucks.
Possible that the electoral/structural bias favoring rural areas also intensifies sprawl, big box retailing, and the growth of evangelical churches?
Kevin
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