Review: What's the Matter with Kansas? | by GlennM
What's the matter with Kansas, by Thomas Frank, is just depressing.
It's a good history lesson of how the progressives in Kansas switched from fighting for economic prosperity for all to the current mess we're in. Namely, where Conservatives (Cons) do a bait-n-switch by getting folks riled up about "values" and then pass laws that take from the poor and give to the rich. Since the "values" issues are never resolved, the "values" folks can be riled up even more for the next election.
Kansas, where Frank grew up, is used as the case study. He goes over the fight between Moderates (Mods) and Cons over the Republican party. He finds folks that have mortgaged their houses so that they can keep fighting for "values", while becoming ever poorer.
He talks about the fact that if Democrats become the "new Republicans" economically (i.e. pro-business ala Bill C), the Republicans will trump us with the "values" issues. Folks just seem more interested in going all-out to "save a baby" instead of "providing choice".
It's a history lesson, not a path to get out of this mess. But some things to note:
* The Mods were able to win back the Republican party in some cases.
* Union folks vote economically instead of over "values". The problem is that union membership's at an all time low.
* The "latte-liberal" bashing is as much against the Republican Mods as it is against Democrats.
It's all about economics. There's got to be a way to wake folks up to the fact that their leaders keep pulling the bait-n-switch on them. While being respectful and not condescending.
I'm glad I read it. Besides chapters titles like "Russia Iran Disco Suck", it is good background on what we're up against. But damn, I now want to shoot off some fireworks to get this bile out of my mouth. And to keep thinking about how to sway folks that indeed just aren't logical. Or maybe logical, but just in very non-traditional ways (like the chapter on the Pope of Kansas). If nothing else Frank has done a great job of listening to the Conservatives.
Best quote (from p.109):
The angry workers, mighty in their numbers, are marching irresistably against the arrogant. They are shaking their fists at the sons of priviledge. ... They are massing at the gates of Mission Hills, hoisting the black flag, and while the millionaires tremble in their mansions, they are bellowing out their terrifying demands. "We are here," they scream, "to cut your taxes."
Comments
Thomas Frank's prose is fresh and focused, as well as funny. Glenn's summary is spot on. However, people who have not read the book should know that Frank is not a depressive writer. His writing is not fatalistic. He does not see the conservative crusade against the "Liberal Elite" as immutable; he does not see progressive politics (or old-time populism) as a lost cause. Quite the contrary. What is depressing about the book owes far more to the subject matter than to the author's temperament. His is genuinely a pessimism of the intellect, but an optimism of the will.
Glenn is right about Frank covering this without undo condescension. Frank has, indeed, done a great job of listening to conservatives. His ability to empathize with conservative populists is an important strength of the book. Ditto his lucid sketch of their worldview, which he reiterates again and again throughout the book. He appreciates that they have an overarching, coherent vision. This vision provides the necessary context in which the trigger terms of Frank Luntz, Karl Rove, and others work.
There is a great deal of contention about how to define economic interests and how the two parties relate to them. Resolving this was not the central aim of Frank's book. In this, he provides, at most, a rough draft. Really getting this effort going requires some thing like Jeffrey M. Stonecash's short (but technical) book _Class and Party in American Politics_.
Posted by: Shane | July 3, 2005 6:44 PM