There aren't that many overwhelmingly Democratic counties in rural America. But there's good variety — warm, cold, hip, poor, rich, black, white and brown.

In more than 72 percent of rural and exurban counties, Mitt Romney won with more than 55 percent of the vote — a landslide in this otherwise close election.

For political fanatics, the campaign never ends. Many rural states will have senatorial elections in 2014. Who will head back to D.C. and which newcomers are ascendant?

In October, a National Rural Assembly poll found Mitt Romney winning rural voters in nine swing states by 22 points. By the time the election came, that massive lead had been reduced to a smidgen over 10.