Geography will always matter to a certain extent, but you elide the economic component of the Civil War. The business interests in the South were economically d

Geography will always matter to a certain extent, but you elide the economic component of the Civil War. The business interests in the South were economically dependent on the existence of a slave-based economy. Northern states either moved to a different economic model or avoided it altogether. As such, the moral issues were much more front-and-center in the North, whereas Southerners were whipped around because of the economic aspect. As the quote goes, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." I do think that differences between the urban and rural workforce are creating divergence, especially when you consider the increased population density and service-based economies we have today. Generally, the coastal states have significantly diverged from the rest of the country, at least politically. As such, they tend to house and draw people with similar values. Value-based migration is not inherently problematic, as the population shift will increase competition between states and force reevaluation of certain policies, both among states losing and gaining different population segments. Real issues may start if a governor decides (and the associated governing apparatus then complies) that certain federal laws and judicial rulings will be ignored. We may be moving in that direction right now (see the NY governor's views on constitutional carry), and I hope we turn back.