Republican Collapse in Rural America

The Center for Rural Strategies, headquartered in Whitesburg, Ky., has released a new poll showing a general dissaffection for the Party of Bush across rural America.

Fred Thompson isn't doing any better than his rivals for the Republican nomination among that rural cohort. Neither are the Democratic candidates, for that matter.

But for a party that has depended heavily on rural America to keep it in power, the signs ought to be fairly alarming.