Last night, author and Wall Street Journal columnist Thomas Frank visited Chicago as part of his nationwide book tour. Frank's most recent book, The Wrecking Crew, examines how "rather than cutting down the big government they claim to hate, conservatives have simply sold it off, deregulating some industries, defunding others, but always turning public policy into a private-sector bidding war." Frank read from the book and took questions from a packed house at the Experimental Station in Hyde Park. Progress Illinois filmed the event and has provided some video excerpts below.
In this first clip, Frank describes how the movement conservatives within the Bush administration have staffed the Labor Department with "anti-labor activists." He goes on to speak more broadly about the costs of conservatism -- "a philosophy of government that regards business as its only important constituent." Finally, Frank describes what he'd like to see on day one of an Obama administration:
In the second clip, Frank touches on the theme of his previous book, What's The Matter With Kansas? He airs his grievances with the Democratic Party, particularly their failure to effectively fight back against Republicans' "fake class war" (most recently embodied by Sarah Palin's rhetoric on the campaign trail.)
Noting that the Dow had dropped 500 points earlier in the day, Frank also states that "all the myths and shibboleths of the last 20 years are coming to pieces around us right now" and conservatives' "world is crashing down." He adds, "The amazing thing would be if you had a Herbert Hoover situation ... and then reelected Herbert Hoover":
Comments
markg8 on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 07:38
It's not just Obama who needs to talk about this stuff, it's all of us. Obama is building a huge grassroots ground game. Phonebankers, canvassers, family, neighbors and friends talking to family, neighbors and friends.
It would have been nice to see Franks give some concrete examples of what to say instead of just kvetching about what Dems aren't doing or saying. If I want that I can turn on CNN or MSNBC any time of the day or night.
I have plenty of my own short, honest, devastating riffs on Republican policy and how we can do better on everything from Iraq to taxes but most don't. Franks reaches a hell of a lot more people than me and it's disappointing to see him standing.at a podium dressed like a New York dandy in a white blazer lecturing in a generalities instead of being specific.
Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 10:11
Nice post Mark. I've read everything Tom Frank has ever published and I love the guy. I do wonder, though, about that jacket.
With "Kansas" shows that people vote against their own interest and "Wrecking Crew" shows just how screwed people are by the politicians that the people themselves put into office.
The analysis stops there though and doesn't get into messaging. Maybe that'll be the subject of his next book. But in the meantime, this video shows that Frank understands the power of conservative messaging and that liberal messaging is not up to par. He suggests that we use "real populism" to confront the "fake populism" of conservatives.
The danger here is that we must realize that conservative populism is about much more than just economics. It is a very complete populism that touches on the family, the environment, the culture, the country.
To combat this populism we need a progressive populism of our own. It must be based on the entire range of America's best traditional progressive values, not be limited economics.
Just to give one example: With a little investment in money and activism, Thanksgiving could be recovered to express our gratitude toward the generous and abundant bounty of our natural environment and how we need to reciprocate. This progressive idea of nature could compete with the conservative idea of nature, that it exists for our pleasure and exploitation, that man's role is to dominate nature--Symbolized in Palin's moose hunting and her husband's snowmobile usage. Nothing wrong with hunting or outdoor motor sports, but that view of nature is the same view that justifies every environmental abuse you can imagine, and if we continue down this path, there will be no more moose to shoot and no more snow to snowmobile on.
People do not vote their economic interests. To appeal to their economic interests alone is doomed to fail. Appeal to shared progressive values instead.
Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 15:44
We need a government who cares more about Barney Smith than Smith-Barney.
Josh Kalven on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 15:55
Anon 16:44 -
That was maybe the greatest line of the entire Democratic National Convention. I was in Invesco at the time and the place went wild. Video here, for those not familiar with Barney Smith.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuAVw_v3br8
Pamela Trucking (not verified) on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 13:16
I don't know that Obama will be any different. Campaign donations show that corporate america likes obama more than anyone before. They must have a reason, right?
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