Isn't the Dems more federal than the Reps, states rights, etc. and that explains urban/rural differences?
The Republicans support states' rights only when it suits their purposes.
For example, they want to pass a federal "right to work" law, which would be imposed on states that don't already have one. ("Right to work" is a big misnomer.) Yet they trot out the states' rights argument to justify opposing a federal law to prevent states from having "right to work" laws.
Republicans also want federal courts to annul Oregon's death with dignity law that was passed by that state's voters in a referendum.