Lazy Saturday Thought of the Day

A few years back, a book called “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” by Thomas Frank was published, to much critical acclaim on the left. In it, Frank walks his readers through the nuances of rural life and identity politics that cause non-metropolitan, working class voters in red states to keep voting for a party that bends them over and screws without lube or even a friendly reach-around. In other words, why the hell do these people keep voting Republican? Frank discussed cultural issues and scapegoating; how the Republicans’ method of hammering away on issues like immigration and abortion, promising to be hardline on them, kept red state voters red despite their quality of life being drastically reduced because of GOP policies.

And nobody had a problem with this, except for some morons over in right field. But they’re like Mikey in those Life cereal commercials: They hate everything. So pshaw.

Fast forward a few years, and Obama says this in the midst of a heated presidential contest: “So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” And suddenly it’s the end of the world.

What’s the big deal? Furthermore, when will this country move away from its soundbite culture and be able to participate in conversations like grown adults?

–Edited by Kathy