What's the Matter with America?: The Resistible Rise of the American Right. Thomas Frank by Thomas Frank

Oct 02, 2007

Jesse rated it

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Recommends it for: people who already read a lot of pop culture political theory.

Eh. I don't know about this one. I think it has some good points and insights as to how people living in middle America see the conservative movement as relating to their self interest even when decisions made by that movement are somewhat against their self interest. At the same time I feel like this analysis "others" middle America and assumes something is "the matter" with Kansas as opposed to assuming that perhaps something is wrong with progressive messaging that is n...more

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Jun 30, 2008

Nicholas rated it

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Recommends it for: people interested in politics, all liberals

A remarkably account of the development of "backlash" politics in the microcosm of Kansas. Thomas Frank asks himself why working-class people would vote against their economic interests to put the Republicans (Reagan, Bush 1, Bush 2) in power, when it would make much more sense to vote for liberals who would improve their educational options and increase progressive taxation. Put simply—why do poor American vote to lower the taxes on the rich? The answer is a little more complicated th...more

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Jan 26, 2008

Belarius rated it

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Recommends it for: Americans And Others Curious About America

Shelves: nonfiction-finished, politics, reviewed

Simply put, "What's The Matter With Kansas?" in its latest (paperback) edition, is a book every politically active American should read. What its author, Thomas Frank, lacks in terms of tone (the book is likely to offend some) he overcomes with an incredibly clear-sighted appraisal of the ideological framework of modern conservatives and, to an extent, of America in general.

Frank's opening thesis is that the "new conservatives" that sprang from the 1990s represent...moreSimply put, "What's The Matter With Kansas?" in its latest (paperback) edition, is a book every politically active American should read. What its author, Thomas Frank, lacks in terms of tone (the book is likely to offend some) he overcomes with an incredibly clear-sighted appraisal of the ideological framework of modern conservatives and, to an extent, of America in general.

Frank's opening thesis is that the "new conservatives" that sprang from the 1990s represent a seeming paradox: the poor further impoverishing themselves by electing politicians who place corporate interests over the economic interests of individuals. This support is, as he describes it, passionate and raging:

"This situation may be paradoxical, but it is also universal. For decades, Americans have experienced a populist uprising that only benefits the people it is supposed to be targeting. In Kansas we merely see an extreme version of this mysterious situation. The angry workers, mighty in their numbers, are marching irresistibly against the arrogant. They are shaking their fists at the sons of privilege. They are laughing at the dainty affectations of the Leawoof toffs. 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.' "

The ideological phenomenon Frank proceeds to unfold explains how a popular, grassroots movement could act so strikingly against its own interests: what he calls "backlash culture." The basic notion is that, faced with apparent legislative and cultural meddling from a vast and nebulous world of "liberal elites," working-class Americans across the heartland have taken to believing that economic forces are wholly distinct from cultural forces, and that America's problems are the result of cultural and spiritual (rather than, for example, economic) malaise. The economic disconnect is key:

"At the center of it all is a way of thinking about class that both encourages class hostility of the kind we see in Kansas and simultaneously denies the economic basis of the grievance. Class, conservatives insist, is not really about money or birth or even occupation. It is primarily a matter of authenticity, that most valuable cultural commodity. Class is about what one drives and where one shops and how one prays, and only secondarily about the work one does or the income one makes. What makes one a member of the noble proletariat is not work per se, but unpretentiousness, humility, and the rest of the qualities that our punditry claim to spy in the red states that voted for George W. Bush."

The problem, as Frank reiterates in countless forms, is the indignant scorn of the common folk for the sophisticated intellectuals they believe hold society's strings. In every trigger issue (from guns to abortion to evolution), the far right sees its way of life under siege by a pseudo-conspiracy of elite manipulation, and in its efforts to rebuke that elite it has embraced politicians whose first priority is evidently supporting corporate America. This shift to the right is not merely a shift away from the Democrats to the Republicans: it is also a bitter conflict within the Republican party, as the moderate "elite" have come under fire by grassroots ultraconservative candidates.

By the time the book reaches its final point (namely, how Democrats let their base slip away), Frank has already connected the dots, such that we can anticipate the result: The "New Democrats" (both in the Clinton era and in the 2004 election) have chosen to court the center (and, especially, to court corporate America), and in so doing have turned their back on the blue-collar folk who were once their strongest supporters. This betrayal, Frank asserts, is as much a factor as the persuasive rhetoric of the conservatives themselves.

Broadly, the book is brilliant. While Frank makes a strong argument for why (and how) many conservatives will reject his ideas, he nevertheless seems to strive to write in terms that might resonate with them and bring in to question the rhetoric in the way that he (a pro-Reagan youth) once did. Frank's tone is sometimes (perhaps even often) pejorative, but that venom appears largely confined to the many, many hypocrites who play a part in the story. He shows a great deal of snarl, for example, when describing the myriad talking heads of the modern conservative establishment (many of whom could only be described as "upper crust" were it not for their adoption of backlash culture). When describing the "true conservatives" with whom he speaks (the grassroots campaign workers, the part-time activists, and so forth), he shows more warmth and sympathy.

More importantly, this book should be required reading for any left-leaning American who thinks they "understand" the right. Frank presents a sufficiently comprehensive insight into the far right that it becomes much easier to empathize with the sizable segment of America it now represents. Seeped in considerable history (showing, for example, the surprisingly leftist origins of many modern conservative tactics, as well as describing the radical left wing of 19th century Kansas) and apportioned with hefty endnotes, the book is a powerful argument for how we got where we are. (less)

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Sep 14, 2010

Connie Kuntz rated it

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Recommended to Connie by: Jesse Kuntz

Thomas Frank, a Kansas native and former conservative, actually does manage to thoughtfully and fairly answer the title question "What's The Matter With Kansas?" He also does explain how conservatives won the heart of America. More importantly, in my opinion, he got me to analyze why I feel the politics I feel and, ultimately, vote the way I vote. His book has a marvelous way of balancing emotion and logic in political rhetoric. Because of that, I consider this book one of beautiful,...moreThomas Frank, a Kansas native and former conservative, actually does manage to thoughtfully and fairly answer the title question "What's The Matter With Kansas?" He also does explain how conservatives won the heart of America. More importantly, in my opinion, he got me to analyze why I feel the politics I feel and, ultimately, vote the way I vote. His book has a marvelous way of balancing emotion and logic in political rhetoric. Because of that, I consider this book one of beautiful, swift political prose. I read it twice.

The books is excellent, but truly hits its stride after page 100 or so, especially when he discusses "Plen-T-plaint." Frank defines Plen-T-plaint as "a curious amassing of petty, unrelated beefs with the world. Its purpose is not really to evaluate the hated liberal culture that surrounds us; the plen-T-plaint is a horizontal rather than a vertical mode of criticism, aiming instead to infuriate us with dozens, hundreds, thousands of stories of the many tiny ways the world around us assaults family values, uses obscenities, disrespects parents, foments revolution, and so on. Plen-T-plaint winds us up. It offers no resolution, simply reminding us that we can never win. The plen-T-plaint is the rhetorical device that makes Bill O'Reilly's TV show a hit...."

The author is able to discuss several of the "hot button" topics (you know the ones: abortion, homosexuality, war, religion, taxes, etc.) that drive the political races without, and here is the beauty, getting emotional, divisive and sanctimonious. Instead, he points out the beauty of the topics and their relevance to the interests of top government officials. Brilliant.

Frank writes with energy. In many ways, his work reminds me of Malcolm Gladwell. His analysis is exciting, well thought out and backed up with tons of research. Similar to my "process" with reading Gladwell, I read and enjoyed the footnotes as well as the text.

Finally, I would like to mention that I have always wondered, "Am I really a liberal?" The answer is YES, but I have truly always wondered why because I have never related to (or appreciated) liberal characters on TV, in film, in theatre, or in the paper.

This book helped me understand why very quickly.

It's because the money (Neo-Conservatives) own not only the news, but the entertainment industry as well. It is the Money (not the liberals) who ultimately shape the way society thinks liberals look and behave. It is the Money who ultimately chooses who the stars are. No wonder I have never related to the liberal characters on tv, in film, in music, on the radio (radio shows) or even in theatre. This is something I will think about for a long time.

This book explains how not-so-subtly the entertainment industry undermines and insults the working class at all levels, including the populist sect to the proletariat class.

The sections on Media Spin and entertainment industry standards and guidelines opened my eyes so much. Of course I already knew the media was controlled by the corporations, but I never realized just how much influence that money really has. It's not liberals who fund the newspapers or the entertainment industry. Nope.

Anyway, this is a terrific book. It is a fair analysis of many aspects of politics. It is not as "left" as the title suggests. I would love to read a book like this about Rockford and all of Illinois.

(less)

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Dec 20, 2007

Moxie rated it

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Shelves: these-suck-read-at-your-own-risk

I know this is supposed to be a great book, but, as a Kansan, I had a hard time getting past Thomas Frank's apparent bitterness about all things Kansas. Its an interesting assessment as to how Kansas got so Red. However, things have been changing significantly in this state over the last few elections so its no longer very insightful about the current state of Kansas politics.

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Oct 14, 2008

Abigail rated it

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Recommends it for: Anyone Seeking to Understand the Notion of "Values Voting"

Shelves: politics

When I think of the Heartland, I think of Kansas... there it sits, at the center of our nation, like an anchor holding us in place, or the backbone that holds us up. Like the nation, it has suffered the vicissitudes of fortune, from the bloody Civil War to the heady days of Populism. And like the nation, it has produced the very best and worst of humanity, from the courageous Abolitionists to the hate-filled demagogues.

When I think of home, I think of Kansas... not because it is, or ...moreWhen I think of the Heartland, I think of Kansas... there it sits, at the center of our nation, like an anchor holding us in place, or the backbone that holds us up. Like the nation, it has suffered the vicissitudes of fortune, from the bloody Civil War to the heady days of Populism. And like the nation, it has produced the very best and worst of humanity, from the courageous Abolitionists to the hate-filled demagogues.

When I think of home, I think of Kansas... not because it is, or has ever been my home, but because it is my mother's birthplace, holds the memories of her childhood, of her growth to womanhood. My grandparents' bones lie in Kansas soil, and wherever I go in this world, a part of me lies with them.

For a New York girl, I think a lot of Kansas... and whatever the propaganda of red vs. blue, conservative vs. liberal, and mid-westerner vs. coast-dweller currently abroad in our culture, this eastern progressive has a kindness in her heart for the Jayhawker State. So it is that when I first saw the title of this book, I thought to myself: "Whatever is wrong with Kansas, is wrong with us all..."

As it turns out, Thomas Frank, a former conservative and a transplanted Kansan himself, agrees. Addressing himself to the question of why working class, blue-collar people vote for Republican candidates whose economic policies harm them, Frank acknowledges that this is a national issue. He simply uses his home state as an example of a larger trend.

I found Frank's basic thesis - that as the Democrats have drifted to the center on economic issues, the Republicans have used "cultural" issues like abortion and gay rights as a means of differentiating themselves from their opponents - quite convincing. How else to account for constituents who passionately believe in "Main Street," choosing to vote for candidates whose policies encourage "Wall Street" depredations?

I read What's the Matter with Kansas when it was released back in 2004, but think – especially in light of the current financial debacle - that its message is still very relevant. (less)

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Jul 17, 2008

MS rated it

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Shelves: politics

Holy cow I hated this book.

This was really an unpleasant experience, I’m glad it’s over. I read the book because I am moving to Kansas and figured it would be a useful introduction to the state’s political dynamic. I was expecting an analysis that I would likely not be very sympathetic to, but I was still disappointed. The book is not so much analysis as explanation -- explanation as to what is going on in flyover country, from the perspective of a committed, doctrinaire, old scho...moreHoly cow I hated this book.

This was really an unpleasant experience, I’m glad it’s over. I read the book because I am moving to Kansas and figured it would be a useful introduction to the state’s political dynamic. I was expecting an analysis that I would likely not be very sympathetic to, but I was still disappointed. The book is not so much analysis as explanation -- explanation as to what is going on in flyover country, from the perspective of a committed, doctrinaire, old school liberal. The book is not intended to win converts, it is a sermon meant only for the choir.

The book’s thesis is that blue collar workers have been duped into voting for conservatives against their economic interests. Conservatives have accomplished this by resorting to cultural wedge issues, leading the gullible masses like the Pied Piper to their own financial destruction. The author does not waste a moment’s energy explaining why liberal economic policies are better for workers than conservative policies. In typically liberal fashion, he just proceeds from that assumption, believing that to be so self-evident that his entire premise can be built upon it beginning at page 1, as though it were a proven law of physics like gravity that would be absurd to even take the time to demonstrate. The book is not meant to explain liberal economic theory. It is intended to explain to devotees of liberal economic theory why blue collar workers in Kansas and other places are voting with the Republican Party that is selling them out to corporations (another Copernican principle).

In reality, the whole book is a portrait of one man’s cognitive dissonance. He caricatures conservative leaders as fire-breathing rageaholics that gain power by ignoring economic issues and convincing rural rubes that America is going to hell in a handbasket. Yet the author’s entire premise is that America is going to hell in a handbasket, and his tone seethes with anger from cover to cover. He sounds like fellow Chicagoan Michelle Obama (the author long ago fled the land he loves so much) when he says, “In its implacable bitterness, Kansas….is where America finds that its soul….has gone all sour and wrong.” (p. 36) But with a straight face, he insists over and over and over again that conservatives are the ones peddling grievance and loathing for what America has become. Conservatives are the ones selling anger, and they are the ones that demonize their opponents as Nazis. Of course, anyone who has turned on a television in the last eight years and watched the hysterical left burn Bush/Cheney in effigy (Bush is Hitler, Digital Brownshirts, etc. etc.) will wonder who is being delusional.

One of his core arguments is that a favorite and effective trick of conservatives is to caricature liberals as east coast snobs that cannot comprehend the values of middle America. Yet the entire book is essentially an indictment of rural and blue collar workers in middle America voting illogically and buying conservative snake oil to their own detriment – in other words, we have a fancy, educated, big city book-writing type mocking the idea that middle Americans are scorned by his kind, while in the same breath he is scorning them for their values and for the lunacy they subscribe to. Hmmm….

Then there are the laughable moments, like when, in a litany of egregious acts perpetrated by conservatives, he speaks of denying women the right to vote (apparently a female legislator spoke sympathetically of this concept) and selling the Kansas Turnpike in the same breathe. Of course, when a person exalts the economic above all else and belittles the concerns of “values voters,” as the author does, a person might find these two ideas equally sinister. His complete and utter incomprehension of why people might protest the abortion industry is almost flaunted (he refers to trucks bearing pictures of broken fetuses in protest of abortion as being representative of the “dark side” of Wichita, without apparently even considering that the gruesome late-term abortions being performed there against the will of the majority might be the dark side! p. 57)

The author tries to separate himself from other liberal diatribes, but in the end he can’t resist falling back on the tired old polemics that the left has employed to such great success for 40 years. Here’s a newsflash: conservatives are racist! After making a halfhearted attempt to deny that this is the case, that there is in fact something else going on here, he just can’t help himself. Reagan, Bush, Gingrich, etc. are all spoken of in the same breath as George Wallace. He makes a valiant attempt to chart a different course from the liberal boilerplate, but like a moth to the flame, he cannot help himself and in the end surrenders.

Whether it’s citing Elliot Spitzer approvingly or claiming that gay marriage is an “illusory threat” (because it is already illegal), this book should not be read as a reliable guide of things to come. It is really just a bunch of crazy anecdotes about crazy people doing and saying crazy things (which proves so much), but it is all in service of a single idea – and that idea is “the borderline criminality of capitalism itself.” (p. 47). Does he explain why? No. Why would he? Does he explain why the sun is yellow? It just is, and everyone knows it is. Corporate Republicans understand the insidious nature of the market better than anyone, that is why they tolerate crazy conservatives – their insanity allows rich men to control the means of production and exploit the proletariat. And conservative values are little more than the opium of the people.

In substance, “What’s the Matter with Kansas” is little more than a latter-day Marx reader. In style it is pure screed. The author is apparently angry that the United States has experienced the greatest era of prosperity in history over the last 25 years. He is angry that when he visits Kansas from Chicago, things don’t look the same as they did when he is a kid.

I’m angry too. I just spent valuable time reading “Kansas for Dummies.”(less)

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Jan 02, 2008

Sean rated it

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This book has got to be one of the most read (or at least most discussed) political commentary texts of the last ten years. It seems like everyone I know is familiar with the thesis – that Kansas is an example of what is strange (and Frank thinks, wrong) about American electoral politics – people will vote against their economic interests if they think such voting is in line with their moral concerns. So, though the Republican party shits all over working class people, they will continue t...more

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Oct 12, 2007

Christina rated it

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Recommends it for: anyone who can read and cares about our country.

Shelves: all-time-favorites

This is the most entertaining and insightful political book I've ever read. Even if it's not your thing, you need to check it out.

Thomas Frank tells the story of how conservative douchebags convinced people in middle-America (Kansas being the best example) that elite, snobby, French, liberal homosexual-atheists from the East Coast would come one day to kidnap their kids to turn them gay AND force them to have abortions (all at the same time) - UNLESS, and this is a big UNLESS - ever...more

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Jul 22, 2007

Craig rated it

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Shelves: politicscurrentaffairs

This book may be the most insightful and prophetic book I've ever read.

Frank examines the post-2004 Democratic Party's relationship with residents of the Heartland, which mirrors the Party's complicated relationship with Americans. Frank argues that Kansas voters -- like the rest of America -- have been forced to engage the Republican Party's message of God, guns, and gays, while the Democrats stand by, watching these voters vote for this divisive agenda at the expense of their own ...more

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May 17, 2007

Abe Brennan rated it

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Thomas Frank advances the argument that schismatic activity within both major American parties has resulted in the shifting of traditional blue collar/middle class votes from Democrat to Republican. He contends that a new breed of conservative, religious-professing politicians use cultural issues to obfuscate class concerns. This negation of class in political debate then results in lower and middle class voters keeping those people in power who exploit them (the voters) financially while payi...moreThomas Frank advances the argument that schismatic activity within both major American parties has resulted in the shifting of traditional blue collar/middle class votes from Democrat to Republican. He contends that a new breed of conservative, religious-professing politicians use cultural issues to obfuscate class concerns. This negation of class in political debate then results in lower and middle class voters keeping those people in power who exploit them (the voters) financially while paying lip service to their (the voters’) conservative concerns. This is a fantastic book on several levels: 1) Frank is a great writer who combines a knack for alliterative turns of phrase with an acerbic wit for a very satisfying effect. The unfortunately clunky syntax found in many political analyses is decidedly not in evidence. 2) His thesis: the Republican Party is essentially made up of two factions, one moderate and one conservative. The moderates are the educated, professional, upper middle class—people with a pro-business mindset but liberal-esque outlook on social matters (e.g. they believe in evolution, pro-choice, etc.). The conservatives are made up of rank and file middle/lower middle class folks who believe the country is in the midst of a headlong flight to moral annihilation; these people, many of them former Democratic-voting blue collar tradespeople, vote for politicians who side with them on polemic but largely unsolvable social issues. The conservatives also include the charlatan politicians who are only too happy to pander to the social issues that rile their constituency but enact economic policies that screw their rank and file while enriching the corporate community. All of the rank and file’s woes are blamed on the liberal elite (Hollywood, New York intellectuals, academia, etc.). The moderate Republicans, while embarrassed by some of the conservatives’ more ridiculous antics (e.g. Intelligent Design, Terri Schiavo, etc.), nevertheless find their swollen bank accounts an adequate salve. While diametrically opposed to their agenda, Frank evinces a grudging admiration for the true blue, rank and file conservatives, whose mobilizing tactics are a pure expression of grass roots democracy. Frank holds the charlatans in utter disdain while his judgment of the moderates is a mixed bag: he dislikes their corporate mentality, the adherence to free market solutions to every problem, but thinks of them as more ingenuous than the elite hypocrites that head up the conservatives. The most fascinating thing about this analysis is his explanation of why class doesn’t figure into American political discourse (i.e. red scare hangover plus blustering popinjays plus histrionic morality equals accusations of liberal über-lordship and evisceration of anyone with the temerity to broach the subject). This is a critique of capitalism: Frank is genuinely dismayed by the exploitative cycles systems such as ours perpetuate. While his analysis is redolent with its principles (though he pulls from a mixed critical bag), he refrains from using the M word (Marxism), and who can blame him, what with the vindictive political climate we find ourselves in? (less)

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May 21, 2008

keith koenigsberg rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction

A scathing polemic diatribe, this book discusses how the conservatives have won the hearts and minds of a state which, by any of the author's yardsticks, ought to vote liberal. Frank is preaching to choir with me. However, even as I sit on his side of the fence, I could not help but fault this book for a)lack of humor (the tone is as screechingly accusatory as any of the conservative pundits he enjoys bashing) b)lack of economic, scientific, or other logical background. He sets up the chapter...more

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Aug 23, 2007

Mark rated it

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Recommends it for: anyone who wants to know why our country is going to the toilets

Shelves: non-fiction

Ever wonder why Middle America suddenly likes "Republicans"? Well, Thomas Frank knows why. Basically, they lie about what they really care about, telling farmers and such that they want to bring back the "values of the old days." What they really want to do is line the pockets of big businesses at the expense of the very people who vote for them.
It's not all Republicans. The Moderates are actually alright people. It's the Conservatives that are really the evil here.
...more

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Oct 30, 2008

Rob rated it

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This book explains why some people constantly vote against their own well being. I think it shows that we as Americans are never satisfied with what we have and are always wanting more,... nicer house, nicer car, newer clothes, anything that makes us feel better and more important than the people down the street. Frank goes into detail about how the "true" republican conservatives from Kansas were shocked and caught by surprise by the quick rise of the "Moral Majority" and ...more

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Jan 02, 2008

Scott rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction

I was disappointed with this book. When I read a serious book I expect it to be serious--if I wanted a screed I'd read Michael Moore (who, frankly, is more entertaining, if also more crazy). Basically, the problem with this book is the writer can't decide who his audience is--is he writing a serious scholarly work, or a Frankenish dismantling of the right? Rich seems to want to write a "fair and balanced" account of the hard right turn Kansas politics has taken, but the book comes a...more

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Mar 30, 2009

Stop added it · review of another edition

Shelves: interviewees

Read the STOP SMILING interview with Thomas Frank:

We're Not in Kansas Anymore
By JC Gabel

Whether Thomas Frank has enough time to think about it or not, he is a hero to underground publishers. He's also an author, a lecturer and, on most afternoons, an outspoken social critic.

Fifteen years ago, Frank started The Baffler, a journal of cultural criticism, in his undergraduate dorm room at the University of Virginia. The Baffler's intelligent look at America...more

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Jan 16, 2012

Kira rated it

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Throughout the book, Frank talks a lot about conservatives’ genius focus on the un-winnable culture war, their railing against abortion and atheism and smutty television and all manner of things that a) they have no intention of changing when actually in office and b) are in many cases created by the very big businesses they claim to love so much. As a true fan of smut, I can say that this was for me the book’s most fun irony. Is that gay kid on Glee ruining the collective psyche of your preciou...more

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Jan 11, 2012

Bojana Duke rated it

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I initially approached this book with some skepticism. His premise seemed so extreme and unlikely (I mean, how could people really behave/think so illogically) but when I started considering the response to the financial meltdown (as in, there was no response)and the other absurdities in our government/politics, I realized this was all too real.

I've wondered for a long time what drives Republican politics - what philosophy/root issues. While this book didn't completely answer that q...more

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Dec 18, 2011

Mike rated it

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This is a good read for those interested in modern American politics and the social forces at work. Thomas writes with a good commentary style and I was happy that he included citations and sources for each chapter. One has to read this fast rather than get bogged down in the details. I found I had to at times stop and look up some subjects he discussed which did "bog" me down. The reader will eventually have a grasp at how the "Cons" have moved the political dialogue to ...moreThis is a good read for those interested in modern American politics and the social forces at work. Thomas writes with a good commentary style and I was happy that he included citations and sources for each chapter. One has to read this fast rather than get bogged down in the details. I found I had to at times stop and look up some subjects he discussed which did "bog" me down. The reader will eventually have a grasp at how the "Cons" have moved the political dialogue to the far right. This was the result of the Cons rejection of the Liberal elite as Frank labels them--but goes on to explain that this Liberal Elite is more of an abstraction since the Cons virtually believe anyone that isn't "old school" Chritian and not authentic American like the Cons perception of themselves. The Democrats then moved to fill the void left in the center while at the same time abandoning their original base--labor and farmers--and created the New Democratic Party. This new approach by the Democrats was to chase the corporate donors. The consequences were to put them in the same position as the Moderate Repulicans--pandering to the corporate world. Another consequence was to lose the "average joe" on the street who now felt the whole system was corrupt. Pro-life and school prayer were the motivating issues that soon drove the voters to the booth and the Republicans began using them as foot soldiers doing all the organizing at the local and state levels. These foot soldiers felt they had a cause and many worked at their own financial expense beleiving they were out to save the world from evil. They and their values were NOW victims. And taking this to the voting booth voted in a party that would actually make them economic victums while these voters retreated into what Frank calls a "pseudo-religeous" retreat of righteousness. And then never paying attetion to their long-term security needs.

I thought Frank could have framed the opening better and bring in how the media at the same time arose to a point that those in Kansas felt overwhelmed and the traditional values they held dear were under attack by the East Coast. Since over half the US population lives with 60 miles of the coast media creates material for these mrkets i.e. no more Bonanza or Ossie and Harriet. And another area was the K-street scandals that actually began with the Democrats that Frank misssed that caused many independents to vacate the Democratic party. Finally, Frank leaves the reader hanging at the end with no tie in to the bigger picture i.e. National Politics and how the RNC understood the social forces and used hot button issues to motivated these foot soldiers through the primaries and caucuses. These reasons I scored this book a 4 star out of 5.(less)

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Jun 13, 2011

Angela added it · review of another edition

The largely blue collar citizens of Kansas can be counted upon to be a "red" state in any election, voting solidly Republican and possessing a deep animosity toward the left. This, according to author Thomas Frank, is a pretty self-defeating phenomenon, given that the policies of the Republican Party benefit the wealthy and powerful at the great expense of the average worker. According to Frank, the conservative establishment has tricked Kansans, playing up the emotional touchstones of...moreThe largely blue collar citizens of Kansas can be counted upon to be a "red" state in any election, voting solidly Republican and possessing a deep animosity toward the left. This, according to author Thomas Frank, is a pretty self-defeating phenomenon, given that the policies of the Republican Party benefit the wealthy and powerful at the great expense of the average worker. According to Frank, the conservative establishment has tricked Kansans, playing up the emotional touchstones of conservatism and perpetuating a sense of a vast liberal empire out to crush traditional values while barely ever discussing the Republicans' actual economic policies and what they mean to the working class. Thus the pro-life Kansas factory worker who listens to Rush Limbaugh will repeatedly vote for the party that is less likely to protect his safety, less likely to protect his job, and less likely to benefit him economically. To much of America, Kansas is an abstract, "where Dorothy wants to return. Where Superman grew up." But Frank, a native Kansan, separates reality from myth in What's the Matter with Kansas and tells the state's socio-political history from its early days as a hotbed of leftist activism to a state so entrenched in conservatism that the only political division remaining is between the moderate and more-extreme right wings of the same party. Frank, the founding editor of The Baffler and a contributor to Harper's and The Nation, knows the state and its people. He even includes his own history as a young conservative idealist turned disenchanted college Republican, and his first-hand experience, combined with a sharp wit and thorough reasoning, makes his book more credible than the elites of either the left and right who claim to understand Kansas. -- John Moe

After reading this book, I'm even more appalled at the tactics of the religious right, and supremely angry with liberals for allowing said group to turn this nation's political conversation into a "values" war. My own future political conversations will certainly be more focused on how economic issues are irretrievably connected to personal morality and care for our fellow man.(less)

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May 30, 2011

haetmonger rated it

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The book is kind of a counterpoint to James Carville's aphorism about politics being all about "the economy, stupid": for a lot of people, economic interests seem to take a back seat to the culture wars when they head to the voting booth. For Frank, the economy is the single most important part of politics, and so those people are doing themselves a disservice; I'm not so sure I'm sold on that, though. Sure, it's easy enough to see why abortion might seem like a distraction to Frank, b...more

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Dec 21, 2010

Elizabeth rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Thomas Frank does a great job at enlightening the reader on why people in the midwest (and the US in general) have started voting against their interests. The entire book is comically depressing. Frank writes in an engaging and matter-of-fact manner that engages and entices the reader to continue. The style makes it possible to read the book without wanting to launch yourself off a bridge because the United States political system is fractured.

Spoiler-ish:
Essentially it comes ...more

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Jul 22, 2010

Julie rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction

Definitely entertaining- couldn't put it down. But this is a book for the converted. Frank assumes the reader is familiar with the economic policies of both the Dems and the GOP from the 1920s onward and, armed with this knowledge, is anti-corporate and supports at least minimally socialist policy. From this starting point, Frank argues that the Dems have abandoned the language of populism while the GOP have taken it up, which wins working class voters to the party of the WASP because lots of pe...moreDefinitely entertaining- couldn't put it down. But this is a book for the converted. Frank assumes the reader is familiar with the economic policies of both the Dems and the GOP from the 1920s onward and, armed with this knowledge, is anti-corporate and supports at least minimally socialist policy. From this starting point, Frank argues that the Dems have abandoned the language of populism while the GOP have taken it up, which wins working class voters to the party of the WASP because lots of people vote based on populist rhetoric, because they don't know about economic policy; but this is not in their political or economic interest (or in the interest of the country as a whole, he clearly feels).

But there, exactly, is the problem: for someone who resents the American lack of economic awareness and blames it for the shift toward conservatism, it's a huge weakness to assume, in a pop-politics book, that his readership has the economic awareness that he spends 250 pages arguing the average American doesn't have.

Here's what this book does well: quick overview of Kansas history. Stories about important Kansans past and present. Stories about conservative nuts like Ann Coulter (who has burned herself out in the wider culture, by the time I read this in 2010) and Pope Michael I of Kansas.

Here's how it could be so much better: history of Democrats and Republicans, from their inception to present, including party positions on major policy issues both economic and social. Prove (not just assume) that socialist leaning economic policy is better for the majority of Americans. Prove that anti-choice policy on abortion coupled with no realistic sex education is socially harmful (for all he talks about abortion, he never does give any reason why we should prefer the pro-choice position).

Yes, it would be weightier. But he might actually win over some of the people on the fence, and it would give the already-converted-but-maybe-not-fully-informed-and-isn't-that-why-we-are-reading-this-book-in-the-first-place-to-get-more-informed potentially new and useful material to argue with. As it is, it's kind of a self congratulatory wankfest. But a very interesting (and accurate, despite all his best efforts to thwart academic rigor) one. (less)

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Feb 14, 2010

Clif rated it

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I hope you will read this book before the next presidential election. Though it was written in 2004, its premise is confirmed by the rise of Sarah Palin.

Thomas Frank, with his usual penetrating insight into American society, examines why a group of people near the lower end of the economic order in this country would be attracted to a party that consistently supports policies that hurt that very same group of people.

Simply put, the Republicans have discovered they can sep...more

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Jun 22, 2009

Jeremy rated it

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Why did I wait so long to read this book? What a tour de force it is. The thumbnail sketch of it that you have heard (or at least I had heard) really fails to capture its depth and complexity. It is deeply grounded in American and Kansan history, for one thing. It is also astoundingly well-written, amusing, and witty. But most importantly, even for people who follow American politics closely, it teaches you some important things that have been happening behind the scenes in American politic...more

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Oct 26, 2008

Luke rated it

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Decent book... interesting and well written. I think the problem is that it's just a bit too opinionated and sometimes the writing is a tinge sensational. However, for the most part provides interesting insight on "How Conservatives Won the Heart of America," and that poor and middle class people will vote contrary to their economic interests in favor of righteous ideals that for the most part will not be achieved politically and are suppressed by an imagined liberal political hegemo...more

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Oct 07, 2009

Kurt rated it

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Quite a bit more strident and less scholarly than I expected, but still good, especially for a Kansas boy. Basically, capital and labor have merged on the topic of moral issues, which has resulted not in Roe vs Wade being overturned or really any change in the moral direction of the country at all, but rather in capital getting straight paid. The author describes how the working poor and lower middle class have traded the New Deal that their predecessors carved out of the backs of capital for sy...more

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Dec 16, 2010

Dan Smee rated it

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Thomas Frank (2004) explores the symbolic division in America which divides the country into mythical Red States and Blue States that seems to polarize Americans and pit one against another. The so-called cultural divide rhetoric polarizes and stereotypes Americans. Blue states are elitists. Red states are unsophisticated working class stiffs. Frank argues that the conservatives have been able to win over the working class, a dream since 1931, for the Republicans. The Red/Blue divide, Frank arg...moreThomas Frank (2004) explores the symbolic division in America which divides the country into mythical Red States and Blue States that seems to polarize Americans and pit one against another. The so-called cultural divide rhetoric polarizes and stereotypes Americans. Blue states are elitists. Red states are unsophisticated working class stiffs. Frank argues that the conservatives have been able to win over the working class, a dream since 1931, for the Republicans. The Red/Blue divide, Frank argues helps the conservatives perform what he calls a "rhetorical maneuver” which highlights the arrogance of the "latte liberals." That rhetoric is one that polarizes Americans based upon their tastes in cars (Volvo for the liberals) and what they eat (imported cheeses, sushi) and drink (latte). Blue states are snobs. In contrast, the red state, "NASCAR" conservatives are small-town, meat and potatoes types. Red states are down-home working class stiffs. Frank takes to task this stereotypic division of American, criticizing primarily the right for their political motives in presenting America as divided.
Frank seems to view the Red/Blue divide in a cynical manner and one that oversimplifies the cultural changes in America. Frank seems to speak from both sides of his mouth; on the one hand he derides the stereotypes of cultural images of latte liberals and NASCAR conservatives as a figment of conservatives who forward the rhetoric. On the other hand the discussion seems confused. Does Frank think there is a cultural divide? Or is it a political divide devised by cynical politicians to "energize" their base? The liberal assertion, in reading Frank’s summary of the blue/red state rhetoric, is that there is a real divide in America represented by class divisions that are deepening as economic conditions worsen. Moreover, there is a class war at progress fueled by social injustices that are supported by the rich corporate “fat-cats.” Book is o.k.I had to read it for research.

Dan Smee
Author “Totally American”

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Jan 26, 2012

Darlene rated it

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Although my political views are left of center, I approached this book with great curiosity and an open mind. I was hoping to understand what makes a group of people vote against their own political and economic interests. However, I didn't come away from this book really learning the answer to that question. Mr. Frank, a native Kansan, wrote a very interesting book about his very colorful home state. He talked about conservative voters voting their values.... I understand that. I feel I vote u...more

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Sep 05, 2010

Lize rated it

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Shelves: 2005

The author grew up in Mission Hills at the same time I was there, and I really enjoyed all the local references.

I’m wild about it. It’s a thoughtful, highly-readable and highly-recommended study of Kansas as a microcosm of the rest of the “Red” map--how the Republican party came to power in working-class Kansas, and retains a stranglehold on the place to this very day. Not only did the author give me a stroll down memory lane (I lived in Kansas City from 5th grade through high scho...more The author grew up in Mission Hills at the same time I was there, and I really enjoyed all the local references.

I’m wild about it. It’s a thoughtful, highly-readable and highly-recommended study of Kansas as a microcosm of the rest of the “Red” map--how the Republican party came to power in working-class Kansas, and retains a stranglehold on the place to this very day. Not only did the author give me a stroll down memory lane (I lived in Kansas City from 5th grade through high school graduation, at the same time as the author, and I really enjoyed all the local references), but he validated my long-held belief that there’s no place in the Republican party anymore for moderates, or for anyone who wants to consider the issues one by one and doesn’t care to gulp down the entire party line like so much Jonestown Kool-aid. To them, people like me are no better than all the Commies and the rest of the “tax-hiking, sushi-eating, government-expanding, latte-drinking, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show” out there. Whew! Guess I’ve been told! So the party trots out the same tired, conservative devil figures at each election time: the 'liberal media', abortion, gay marriage, being made fun of by elites, those uppity feminists, etc. to rile up the decent, hardworking populace and make sure Republicans continue to be re-elected to fulfill their capitalistic agendas. And so far it’s working like a charm.

Quotes:

People "vote to stop abortion; they receive a rollback in capital gains taxes. They vote to make our country strong again; they receive de-industrialization. They vote to screw those politically-correct college professors; they receive electricity deregulation. They vote to "get government off our backs"; they receive conglomeration and monopoly everywhere from media to meatpacking. They vote to stand tall against terrorists; they receive Social Security privatization. They vote to strike a blow against elitism; they receive a social order in which wealth is more concentrated than ever before in our lifetimes--in which workers are stripped of power and CEOs are rewarded in a manner beyond imagining.”

The great dream of conservatives has always been a working-class movement that for once takes their side of the issues; one that votes Republican and reverses the achievements of the working-class movements of the past. This is happening."

Interesting stuff.(less)

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