WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS

Frank, T. (2005)What's the matter with Kansas?New York: Henry Holt

Kansas was a hotbed of radicalism in the 1800's, from issue to issue as fiery fundamentalist preachers sermonized and struggled to equalize money from the rich back down to the poor and middle class. However, by the 1900's Kansas is one of the most conservative states in the union. Especially, after World War II and into the 60's, the Democratic party represented the middle and bottom economically, but not socially. The Civil Rights struggle and Vietnam moved Kansas to the Right.

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The Liberal college educated in the streets protesting the Vietnam war and burning the flag, made way for the southern strategy of Kevin Phillips. The Republican party promised the heart lander and the southerner that their values would be honored. They voted in mass for Republicans.

Wages began to stagnate, social mobility slowed, and farms got bigger. Yet, they continued to vote

right even though they were losing their shirts.

The Democratic party became the party of Liberal elites who had numerous degrees and looked downward on the middle class. From Hubert Humphrey onward, one Democrat after another lost presidential and congressional races. The more the Democrats lost the more they sneered at the common folk that lived in the vast number of red states.

If the grassroots Right lost their incomes, they didn't see social changes that they wanted either. Homosexuality is quite acceptable in many areas of the country. Two-thirds of Americans don't particularly like but do not oppose abortion. Prayer has not returned to schools. Voucher schools are rare. The Supreme Court has reversed Brown vs. the School Board of Topeka, but integration is apparent on television, music, the arts, and the major media. In fact, integration nationally never did happen. The women's movement has lessened, but more women are in the labor market than ever before. Gun control failed, but it never had the strong special interest following against it. Americans have always had guns. Taxes have been cut, but have been flushed up to the top 1/2 of 1 percent.To make matters worse, some country western music sounds a lot like rock music and the latest war is not doing so well.

So who's winning? The conservative economic elites. They have so successfully created a false conscious fog

that we wander together, all of us in   a bipartisan diaspora through the smog, globalized bog, and

the latest celebrity scandal. We have lost our way in terms of the common good. Raunch culture wins, liberal is a dirty word as is moderate.Social conservatives take a beating too.

Fortunately for Democrats, the Republicans can expect and get purity. Conservatives have won  for so long, that purity can be demanded. It reminds this reviewer of the Democratic Party in the late 60's. Only a true Liberal should be nominated. So in 1972, a stalwart Liberal lost nearly every

state in the Union.

Someday, perhaps a decade or two , although it is possible now, the Democratic Party

can develope a big tent for social values especially on abortion  and work for the everyday

blue collar & the white collar clerk for increased economic security. It doesn't hurt to use the word God once in awhile either.Elitism can smell on either side of the fence. For conservate economic elites, illegals. wage stagnation and poverty rocks.

Good read.