the opportunity for that has long passed us, I am afraid
Just look at how Fox News is still the only station playing on military bases, and Limbaugh was the only radio show. The viewpoint of this community is now generational.
To answer your first question nobody that I knew of in urban areas thought that it mattered one whit what the sort of "crazy uncles in podunk land" thought. For decades circular arguments about it persisted. Even here on DU, the predominant view back in the early 2000's was "ignore it and it will go away" or " even hate speech must be protected". Leaving us liberals in rural areas subject to the sort of terrorism that the entire nation is experiencing so visibly now.
Ask anyone who worked in the sciences in agriculture.
Take a look past how the research destroyed by Bundy, etc up in Oregon was utterly forgiven by the powers within the government.
Only right wing rage is taken seriously by media, and politicians.
This is not going to change until the rest of the nation wakes up to the effect of this multigenerational propaganda effort. That has already won.