answer:It’s an interesting thesis, @BarnacleBill, although I suspect that it’s greatest weakness is that it opens you up to the accusation of elitism. The values of environmentalism, local sourcing and eclecticism are those of a more highly educated population. Of course highly educated people tend to be liberals more often than they are conservatives. People who spend more time in malls and big box stores are probably more conformist that those who haunt mom and pop stores, on average. Of course there are many exceptions. It’s pretty easy to run against elitism in the heartland. Are the big box stores too plebian for you? You’re so out of touch with the people. You can’t represent them. You don’t understand. It is a cultural issue. Do you have farmers markets where you live? It’s also that even if it is hypocrisy, it’s not like people are even aware of it. They are just doing what everyone else is doing. They probably don’t know the positions of the party in anything but the most general terms and hot button issues. That is hardly hypocrisy. To sneer at them probably is elitism. Not that I have any problem with that.