Fixing all that ails rural America begins with restoring the American Dream of a representative democracy combined with a capitalist system to benefit the many rather than the few.

What would a Romney presidency mean for rural America? Hard to know, but Matt Barron can tell you what Romney's governorship meant for rural Massaschusetts.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry says the "climate" he helped create in Texas has led to new jobs. That "climate," however, didn't reach rural Texas, where jobs declined in the last year.

“The crops that we grow are the basis of our civilization,” Todd Leake said. “If anything belongs in the public domain it is the crops we grow for food.”