How did the center of the countryâ??the “heartland” or “flyover country” as you preferâ??get its status as the “authentic” America, as opposed to the inauthentically American coastal cities?  It certainly doesn’t make historical sense—the eastern seaboard was part of America first. They’re not some sort of “silent majority”—the demographic story of this century has been the urbanization of America; more than half of us now live in metropolitan areas, including suburbs.  The great emblematic American landmarks and the internationally regarded universities are mostly on the coasts.  So, uh, what exactly is it?  Nothing against the folks in that big middle section, but I’m not sure what exactly justifies people there regarding themselves as more genuinely American than the rest of us.