Rural areas getting more Republican has and suburban areas getting more Democratic has been a trend since at least 1992, on the Presidential level. but Trump and his overtake of the GOP has really accelerated this. I think someone like Kasich or Rubio would have done far better than Trump did in areas like NOVA, the Atlanta 'burbs, SoCal, etc.
Kasich and/or Rubio wouldn't have done well in the Atlanta suburbs. Gwinett and to a lesser extent Cobb were always ticking time bombs for the GOP. Gwinnett is only 40 % white now and Cobb will be majority minority in the census next year. Them becoming D under Trump was more a coincidence than anything.
