I was intrigued by your approach, i.e., "blue state goes to red state". It seems so loaded with "agenda". Urban vs. rural is a rich enough ground for so many extremes that I kinda think trying to toss in politics is a missed point that I cannot resist addressing.
The main thing I like about my new rural life is that anyone here who publicly espouses any strong political opinions in any direction is considered a pain in the butt. Yes, there are the "War is not the answer" and "Bush must go" posters in some windows, but to MY neighbors, the translation is "I have a tattoo" or "I had a job once, but I didn't like it". That is not saying this is a Dem or GOP place - just that people who put signs in their windows are looking to piss someone off and in a place this small, that means you are a fool.
Where I live is just like most, people like both parties for whatever reason they choose, but to bring it up outside the voting booth is getting a bit pushy and personal. One guy put it best a few weeks ago when he commented that he has a business to run and hanging his politics on his sleeve is just a reason for 50% of the potential friends and clients to write him off as an idiot!
I have found that any random person I pick around here can talk intelligently about politics, but no one commits to one side or the other any more than they are interested in talking about their sex lives. It just isn't done. The whole local machine turns out to beg everyone to vote, but they don't try to ask you to vote a particular way. Basically, the local politicians are not 'well-liked' for their profession and know it plays better at a lower key than all the negative crap you see on a national level.
As an example, my best friend and I talk about all this stuff, but neither one of us has a clue as to the other's actual leanings. I no longer even know what side is red or blue. Work, common sense, neighbors and making tomorrow better for our families - it is a lot more important than how we might vote. Too important to TALK about how we vote and spoil something good between friends and neighbors.
Back in the big city, politics is like perfect english - used to separate people quickly into categories and make the chunks of the masses easier to pidgeonhole and digest. A PHD from Korea can accidentally be labeled as stupid if he has not yet mastered our language. We should look deeper than that stuff.
When I moved here, I was thrilled to find how current and informed everyone was in comparison to back in the city where everyone just picks a side and then eats whatever their respective self-annointed leaders serve up like it came straight from the lips of the Almighty. It is never much of a topic for us to talk about, but it is comforting to know that I live in a place where people make a serious effort to keep track and vote their wishes accordingly.
So, at least where I live, that Red vs Blue thing is not the real punch line to bank on. I thnk maybe the real miracle is just revealing itself:
Rural areas are attracting more and more educated and skilled people as a better place to live and work. If you are a high IQ sort, you are going to be naturally attracted to the challenge of playing with nature because she can beat your butt in a nanosecond. You have no control over it except your wits and luck. Instead of fighting the Inbox vs. Outbox War, you can REALLY put it on the line.
When I read your topic intro, my first thought was, "Wasn't Chevy Chase's 'Funny Farm' film pretty much the been there/done that for this subject? Dunno...
I have no idea whether I went from red to blue or vice versa, but I did go from pop. 4 mil to pop. 1200 !!! No one in Houston knows how to cook a woodchuck! No one here WANTS to! But the option is there..... :-) Good luck on your project.