Small towns 'have come of age'... in Southern U.S.A.?

Oddly enough, I was discussing music and culture with a 30-ish co-worker.  I was pleasantly surprised, scared, and astonished to hear the same political, cultural, and musical ideas coming from him, that we have had for years!  People used to throw glass bottles at you or worse for the same thoughts in the 80's and 90's!  A strange nation.  So why do we vote so stupidly in the political arena?