What's the Matter with America?: The Resistable Rise of the American Right [Paperback]

Frank explains how, in affect the Democrats rejection of the language of class and equality during the 90's post Reaganomics period allowed the GOP a niche in which to exploit all kinds of cultural wedge issues, from guns to aborton, the natural instincts of the Kansas poplace Frank uses as an example throughout the book ran counter to that of the coastal/liberal Democratic establishment.

Frank gives a variety of examples of real Kansas 'blue collar Republicans' at the sharp end of the pay scale, who talk not about the harsh brand of conservative economics that have, ironically, undercut the traditional business of old, but instead rail against the 'liberal media', and other such leftist bogeymen. Unlike many authors such as Molly Ivins, Thomas Frank resists the urge to fill his book with too many real-life examples, which aides the flow of the book and allows him, a native Kansan, proper room to analyise the sizemic shifts have occured in his home state that so favour the GOP.

Frank is also refreshingly non-partisan in his analysis, although he makes no secret of the fact he is a Democrat, this does not lead him into making any party politcal broadcast for the Dems, (thank God), and is duly critical of their faliure to see the wood for the tree's in so much of America's poor rural heartland, that should, by economic logic, be their territory. Neither does he resort to excessive Michael Moore style assults on his opponents, strictly analysing how the right-wing backlash works so effectively and its main tools of propaganda, rather than making a forcible leftist economic argument. This book is a rarity in its clarity of purpose, its tight, sustained analysis, and the genuinely relevent and thoughtful points it promotes, regardless of your personal politcal pursuasion. If ever there was a book highly relevent and crucial to any understanding of the soap-opera that is this years race for the Presidency, this is it.

Franks ends with a critique of the Democrats' sell-out under Clinton. Equal blame lies with the Democrats' abdication from the debate on economics (taxation, public services, regulation) in favour of business-friendliness. Sound familiar? New Labour learned a lot of what it knows from Clinton's 'tiangulations'.

It's also worth saying that Frank can REALLY write: never a dull sentence or a pat phrase. I was dismayed to discover he's still in his 30s. Far too clever for his own good. Buy, read and begin to understand how Dubya got where he is today.

The book explores an apparant paradox - in the United States, the poorer states (like Kansas) vote Republican, while the wealthier states vote Democrat. The explanation for this is that the Republicans don't talk much about economics but focus on "moral values" e.g. abortion, evolution, homosexuality etc. which enhances their appeal to poorer voters. Meanwhile the Democrats have abandoned the poor to present themselves as a pro-business party.

Frank believes that many right-wing Republican politicians and commentators are opportunists who are insincere in their commitment to "moral values" and are posing as fundamentalists in order to attract support. He says it is safe for them to do this because they know there is no chance of the US actually banning abortion, evolution and homosexuality, and because their supporters are so gullible that they won't believe the people they support are hypocrites. I'm not so sure about this. I think that if they keep trying, the "moral values" Republicans can achieve their objectives.

This book is very well researched and written. It looks mainly at Kansas and how life and politics in the state have changed over the last century.

If you are interested in this sort of thing I would also recommend George Lakoff's books.