This is certainly intentional, and is well documented in the book and documentary What's the Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_the_Matter_with_Kansa...

Additionally, Kevin Kruse of Princeton has written a great book called One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America. An intro article on this book can be found here:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/corporate-am...