Thomas Frank Reading
Thomas Frank reads selections from his book entitled What’s the Matter With Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America. Frank goes on to detail a phenomenon he terms “The Great Backlash”, explaining it as a “cultural conservatism” that was a direct response to the liberal climate of the 1960’s. He claims that this “cultural conservatism” masks itself as a working-class movement, yet has done “incalculable, historic harm to working-class people.” He also points out that this group of individuals is fond of fighting cultural wars on such issues as gay marriage, yet takes care not to “win” to war so as not to lose their support.
During a question and answer session, Frank further elaborates on the “futility of the culture wars”, claiming that the conservatives “always choose battles where victory is impossible.” Frank goes on to discuss his own political leanings, pointing out that he did support Reagan when he was a teenager.
Frank points out that a large part of What’s the Matter With Kansas? focuses on politics in Kansas, as well as the Populist movement of the 1890’s. He refers to the Populist movement as a time “when average people finally figured out that they’d been lied to all their lives.” Frank ends by detailing his time spent researching Populism at the University of Kansas libraries.
In: "Live from Prairie Lights" Audio Archive | Nonfiction
Authors: Thomas Frank
Date Recorded: October 15, 2004
Works Read: What's the Matter With Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America by Thomas Frank
Program: Live From Prairie Lights
Format: reading
Contributors: Introduction by host Julie Englander.
Topics: politics, Kansas, conservatism, culture wars, Populism