1988 is the last victory by a Repub Pres. Candidate, hence rural dem voters who seem religious, seem to not like moderate Republicans. Texas does not have this problem because usually dem rural voters lean towards Republican Pres. Candidates because they can't stand their big government brethren, ergo, they have more sense from a blue dog perspective.
You are mistaken. I live in rural PA. This is the industrial Northeast, not the West. The Democrats you are talking about are not rural.