Anyone else reading What's the Matter With Kansas?

[oustemnow]

Just started it--I'm about 30 pages in--but so far it is so densely packed with damning facts and arguments, along with a fair amount of humor. The question is, how to remedy the fact that so many people have been convinced to vote agaonst their own interests? Can anyone who's finished the book tell me is Frank addresses this, or is it merely a dissection of the phenomenon?

[Redneck Socialist]

1. It is mainly a dissection of the phenomenon, but

at several points he takes the Dems to task for shifting right on economic issues. That shift has left many voters with the perception that there is no difference between the pubs and the Democrats on those issues, thus leaving social issues as the only area where distinctions can be drawn.

[oustemnow]

3. so he's basicaly saying that, at this point, culture wars will

define political debate?

Man, that's depressing--but it makes sense.

[XemaSab]

6. Culture wars will define political debate

as long as the dems and the reps are identical on economic matters.

[MisterP]

8. the DLC's answer, of course, is that we also must move to the right

on social issues
:crazy:

[disgruntled_goat]

2. i read it a while back

IIRC it's more of a dissection than an addressing of correction.

IMO, he dissected these issues so thoroughly that by the end of the book he has said all he could outside of certain...urm,
politics-that-dare-not-speak-its-name stuff.

if you get my drift.

[oustemnow]

5. I think I catch your drift

love the user name, by the way--a Simpsons fan, I take it?

[CatholicEdHead]

4. Have read it before

Pretty close to reality. Nothing I do not see in Minnesota Republican country.

If you follow the news there were no real new points brought up. It was a decent read.

[jimquilty]

7. started but not

finished yet ... we were on vacation and I had polished off a michael moore book, Franken's lying liars, and Molly Ivins shrub and, not surprisingly, my wife convinced me that I was ruining the vaca with my political ranting ... have been waiting for serenity before I pick back up

[oustemnow]

9. heh heh, awesome story

great reading list, but I imagine you were a complete pain in the ass to vacation with.

[The Whiskey Priest]

10. I have read the book, excellent critique

on the phenomena of people becoming so angry that their senses leave them and they start punch themselves in the face. Franks explains how the middle and working class in the red states are beating the shit out of themselves. They are really kicking their own asses…

[hfojvt]

11. It has been discussed

As a Kansan I had some issues with it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=209&topic_id=366&mesg_id=366

Supposedly a follow-up book will address what to do for a remedy.