Have you read What's the Matter with Kansas?

[Radical Activist]

I thought it was funny that it was mentioned in the SNL cartoon, but I've actually been asking people that question ever since the election. It's one book that should be read by everyone who wants to understand how to win back red states and how the Republicans built a working-class conservative populist movement.

It's very powerful, well written and insightful. If all the party leadership and activists read this I think we will be in much better shape as a party.

So go read it already!

[JohnKleeb]

1. I think someone got it for me for x-mas

[NYC]

4. Lucky you.

Give us your review after you read it. I have heard it is good. :hi:

[JohnKleeb]

5. I will but I generally get a lot of reading material this time of year

[NYC]

6. Take your time.

I have a backlog of books to read, so can only add the Kansas book to my list of books to be read.

[JohnKleeb]

8. I am a notoriously fast reader

So I could finish it within 2 weeks.

[Radical Activist]

14. It's a fairly short book

and very readable. I'm sure you'll get through it quickly.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. No and I live in Kansas

I guess I really need to read this.

[Radical Activist]

3. The author is from Kansas

I didn't know much about Kansas politics after 1920. I bet it would be even more interesting for you.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. The author is from my home town

I really do need to read this book. :spank:

[bobweaver]

7. Links to the author's web site and articles about him

The author of "What's the Matter with Kansas," Thomas Frank, has a web site at:
http://www.tcfrank.com/

Here are two articles about him:

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/frank.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7971-2004Oct28.html

I'm sure the conservative think tankers at the Heritage Foundation are livid that Thomas Frank figured out their game and published it. They must have him on their hit list somehow.

[Zan_of_Texas]

10. It's a pretty quick read.

Tom Frank is a student of culture and pop culture. The book got a fair amount of attention (probably mostly on the East Coast!) this fall.

It's clever and observant, and makes, in my opinion, one good point -- the red state "deal" that has been made is to give Republican voters their anti-abortion, anti-gay, ride of what they call "authenticity", but unnoticed by the R voters is that they get stuff they didn't bargain for in the deal -- tax cuts for the wealthy, globalization, preemptive wars, staggering federal debt for their grandkids, slashed local budgets, etc.

He argues that populism has been stolen by the Republicans, and that they have painted Democrats as the Elitist party (something that had never occurred to me). That whole "Volvo-driving, latte-drinking" etc. etc. thing is part of that.

What Frank misses entirely, like most of the pundit class, is that this is NOT about message, or framing, or PR, ultimately -- it's about the votes. And the votes were rigged in November 2004. Plain and simple. So, to argue about what the Dems did wrong misses the point -- the Dems won. That doesn't mean we can't criticize the Dem platform or the candidate. But, let's not criticize them for losing. Criticize them for conceding before the votes were clear, criticize them for not fighting tooth and nail now that there is a new insult to the voting and vote-counting process coming to light nearly every day.

[jonnyblitz]

9. hell yeah! I need to read it a second time though.

It should be required reading.

another book I purchased based on an ad in "the nation" is called "The Wimp Factor : Gender Gaps, Holy Wars, and the Politics of Anxious Masculinity" by Steven J. Ducat"
excerpt from amazon.com:
<snip>

A landmark exploration of how male anxiety has come to define our political culture

What is the link between wimp factors, gender gaps, and holy wars—three recognizable political phenomena of the twenty-first century? In this eye-opening book on how male anxiety has come to shape political thinking and behavior, Dr. Stephen Ducat argues that there is a direct association between the magnitude of a man"s femiphobia and his tendency to embrace right-wing political opinions.

Dr. Ducat shows how anxious masculinity has been a discernible subtext in politics throughout the history of Western culture—from the political campaigns of ancient Greece to the current contest for the presidency, and including everything in between, like cartoons of George H. W. Bush exposing his "wimp factor," the demonization of Hillary Clinton, and the recent war in Iraq. He also explores why and how political issues—such as environmental protection, support for war, welfare reform, immigration, and crime and punishment—get gendered.

<snip>

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0807043443/qid=1103608867/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/102-7896487-4830538


I will read this one soon.

[Robbien]

11. And when you are finished with that one read "Blinded by the Right"

by David Brock.

The right is organized and is engaged in a war. Too bad their war opponent is mostly oblivious because we are losing battle after battle.

[checks-n-balances]

18. Brock's book is EXCELLENT, and it opened my eyes a few yrs ago

I'm glad I read it because it explained the intricate and subtle ways that the RW attacked Clinton and began having the upper hand in the media. It was also good to sort of "de-program" myself of any myths that had crept into our society that have been propagated by the RW for years.

[PallasAthena]

12. I had started reading it last week, and it's GREAT!!

It's infinitely readable, well-documented, witty, and almost conversational in its tone. I'm only about 1/4 finished, so I hope that he will give some suggestions (and HOPE) as to how the progressives can get some traction in the national political scene again.

Another book I heard about on NPR (the above was one) is called The Right Nation, by two editors of the Economist. These authors have also written about how America (they are British) has turned sharply to the right and how the Democrats are fooling themselves if they think that it was just a matter of vote fraud that the GOP has made such huge gains lately. It sounds depressing (but what political thing doesn't these days?), but I bought that one too.

[Robbien]

13. Thomas Frank did an interview with Bob McChesney

which they have archived on his site. It was very informative interview, Frank is a great guest.

You can find the link to listen to the show here:
http://www.will.uiuc.edu/am/mediamatters/

Just scroll down to December 5th

[El Biggo Doggo]

15. great book, but....

it doesn't really give us much of an indication of which way to go (to be fair, I read the last part of the book with a fever). So, yeah, they are messed up and they keep voting for more sand to be dumped on their own heads...what do you do with people like this? Secede?

[Radical Activist]

16. There are many different views

on what to do next. I think if he had approached the subject of what to do next he would have had to a) make the book twice as long b) tackle a subject he's less qualified in than social observation and c) allowed the main topic of the book to be overshadowed by arguments about his proposal for actions. Many people may have discounted the observations of the book because they didn't like his proposed plans.
We have to understand the obstacle before we reach a solution and Thomas did a great job of describing the obstacle. It's up to us to make a solution, and there may be several good ways to do it.

[Robbien]

17. He is going to write a second book

In the interview he said that everyone was disappointed he didn't suggest some resolutions in the first book and he hopes to tackle that in the second.

[hfojvt]

20. Hello, McFly

Goto DU's non-political forums, then books non-fiction. The book for December is "What's the matter with Kansas"

January's book is "Don't Think of an Elephant"

[Radical Activist]

23. Ok, because everyone goes to those forums

and I'm sure this post would have been seen by everyone.

Anyway, I'll go over there for the discussion, so thanks for letting me know.

[DemGirl7]

21. got it for my Birthday a couple of weeks ago

haven't got around to reading it due to the massive load of take-home finals and exams I had to study for, right now reading "Don't Think of an Elephant" will read "What's a matter with Kansas" next

[newportdadde]

22. Finally came in at the library so I will be reading it soon.