I seriously think we are seeing the beginning of America seperating into two or three countries.

[HereSince1628]

133. Or we are seeing a national party forced to conform to anti-federalist rhetoric

which is most common within the regional pockets of its strength.

When this talk comes up I think of this map showing the 2008 electoral map



To me, the core of anti-federalism in the US doesn't seem to be a desire to be sovereign states, but rather sentiments of anti-taxation and anti-regulation. Complaining about these things isn't as much a struggle for independence as it is simply de rigueur.

Reagan tapped into the resentment of social change brought about by civil rights and environmental protections. He set the Republicans on their current course when he said "government is the problem" meaning the federal government.

His statement was general and sufficiently ambiguous for the antifederalists in different regions of the nation to rally around it. It appeals to corporatists and citizens seeking life without conformity to social standards or social responsibilities.