Posted on 09/18/2009 11:23:49 AM PDT by Borges
As a liberal, I agree with about a third of the people in "What's the Matter with Kansas?" A conservative would probably agree with the others. What's interesting is that every single person in this film is seen as themselves, is allowed to speak and seems to have a good heart. I've rarely seen a documentary quite like it. It has a point to make but no ax to grind.
This is its point: Conservatives in the heartland have persuaded themselves to vote against their own economic and social well-being because they consider hot-button issues more important than their incomes, economic chances, educations and the welfare of society at large. Their positions dovetail seamlessly with evangelical Christianity, and they accept hardship as the will of God when it seems more clearly to be the working of a top-loaded economy.
No one in the film says that. The film has no narration at all. It is a fascinating series of portraits of Kansans, all of them shown without judgment. In a subtle way, the accumulation of these portraits adds up to this conclusion: They're doing themselves no favors by voting against their own interests and might hold onto their values while still voting more selectively.
The two most likable people in the film are a Christian mother and farmer named Angel Dillard, and a self-proclaimed populist farmer named Donn Teske, both struggling to keep their family farms afloat after two drought years.
Dillard has a story to win our sympathy. After a bad marriage in Los Angeles, she moved back home to Kansas and bought a small homestead. This she planned to farm by herself and probably never remarry ("I must have had 100 first dates but when the guys saw this place ..."). But she did find the right man and has two pretty daughters, one named Reagan.
We see her manning a right to life booth at the state fair. She is a loyal follower of Pastor Terry Fox's 6,000-member Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita. When Fox is asked by the church deacons to resign because they were uncomfortable with his political sermons about abortion and homosexuality, they follow him to exiled services, held in a theater at Wild West World, a new theme park.
Along with Fox and other church members, they ask God for guidance and invest their savings in the park. It goes bankrupt without ever thriving, and there are hints that it may have been a Ponzi scheme. But they accept their loss as God's will. At the end of the film, Angel is selling her CD of Christian music at a local event.
She never has the slightest doubt that God wants her to vote conservative. Although she is a fervent pro-lifer, she tells of a disastrous early pregnancy: After a prolonged labor, a doctor braced his foot and pulled out her son with forceps, crushing his skull; although the boy lives until 12, he never sees, hears, speaks or eats and wears diapers.
It took a long time for the doctors to get a heartbeat, she says calmly. "They should have allowed him to die, but they were afraid of a lawsuit." Has it occurred to her to question the difference between allowing a brain-dead child to die and terminating a pregnancy in a similar case?
Donn Teske, head of the Kansas Farmers' Union, is a Wilford Brimley type, plain-spoken, "a redneck," and says he was a Republican committeeman but resigned and now considers himself a populist independent. He is eloquent in testifying before Congress, and in Washington goes to visit the modest Franklin Roosevelt Memorial. It was Roosevelt's New Deal, he says, that created the first, and still the best, farm bill.
Another likable figure in the film is Brittany Barden, a bright teenage campaign worker for GOP candidates. Apparently home-schooled, she goes off to college at Patrick Henry University, a conservative Christian school in Virginia. Her mother explains, "Secular schools teach things like evolution." Brittany explains that our nation is Christian, the founding fathers were all Christian, and Christianity is established in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Perhaps at Patrick Henry she will learn that all three of these beliefs are simply untrue.
At the start of the 20th century, Kansas was a staunchly left-wing state. The town of Girard was the home of the socialist Appeal to Reason, then the newspaper with the largest circulation in America. Teske goes to visit the Populist Cemetery and speaks of the state's populist roots.
"What's the Matter with Kansas?" doesn't connect the dots, nor does it need to. It takes no cheap shots. It is all there to see. These good people are voting against themselves. The current hysteria about health-care reform is another example. Meanwhile, we see a state that is draining population, with empty sidewalks and vacant parking spaces, boarded storefronts and foreclosures, and a certainty that all is God's will. A billboard outside one town simply says: "Pray for the Election."
Most popular tourist attraction in Kansas?
Colorado stateline.
Their music sucks! Although, the see-through violin was pretty cool.
All bands named after places are bad. Kansas, Asia, Europe, Chicago, Boston, Africa.
The real issue is the people who claim to be anti-big government who love the idea of Big Government when it comes to social issues that they agree with.
The solution is an end to Big Government concerning ALL aspects of a citizen’s life.
Religion is the opiate of the masses; Montgomery Burns uses religion to dupe stupid poor people from supporting their glorious socialist future. We’ve heard this ad nauseum since the 1840s.
One needs a thorough college education to believe the lazy intellectual slop being sold to us these days.
This is known as morality. Liberals do not understand the concept. I would vote against killing my neighbor and distributing his property among the rest of us on the street, DESPITE THE FACT that it is against my economic gain.
Chicago isn’t the name of a band, it’s an abbreviation. Kids.
I never understood the whole “What’s the matter with Kansas” idea. They say that Kansas people and conservatives elsewhere vote against their own economic interests. Well, some of us are concerned about society as a whole. Candidates and issues which we feel will advance causes within the society as a whole are more important to some people than their “economic” interests.
And this may be the achilles heel of liberals. They take the position that we shouldn’t be concerned about some issues, because the liberals aren’t concerned. I am not going to take my cue about what is important from liberals.
The whole idea of what’s the matter with Kansas is so condescending. I could write a book about “What’s the matter with New York City”, “What’s the matter with California”, “What’s the matter with Massachusetts”.
Barack Obama struck a nerve with his comments about bitter people clinging to guns and religion. In his liberal elite worldview, these are not important. Since they aren’t important to liberals, the liberal view is that they shouldn’t be important to anybody, or have any discussion in the public square.
Election of Sebillius? Tiller? The problem? Two major metro areas dictate policy for the rest of the state.
No one ever asks this of rich liberals who support socialism.
President
Donn Teske
Vice President
Daryl Larson
Communications
Emil T. Mushrush
Education
Lisa Teske
Legislative
Donn Teske
Co-Op Dev
Emil Mushrush
I thought the Farmers Union had died decades ago. From the looks of its officers, it must be a really rip-roaring organization.
Given the Republican position on farm subsidies, free trade, and the death tax, which hits farmers really hard since the IRS won’t accept payment in corn bushels, I reject the premise that Kansas Republicans are voting against their economic self-interest.
Personally, I like the folks in Kansas even though I’m a Missouri puke. Got a ton of relatives there that are very good shooters and can quote scripture. The only thing thats bitter is the cold in January.
Actually it's the Cabela's in Wyandotte County. In terms of total numbers.
Frank’s nailed the split in the Kansas Republican Party in his book. We actually have three major parties, not two.
"C'mon, we'll give you free stuff! Just let our well-trained, highly professional staff slaughter your kids. Are you hayseeds too stupid to recognize a great deal when you see one?"
That's pretty much the gist of it.
More of the liberals, "Conservatives are too dumb to know what's good for them." crap.
You’re right about one thing, Ebert...you’re a typical liberal. Only libs know what everyone’s “best interests” are.
Well, there IS that big ball of string in Cawker City and lots of folks like to gaze at Harry Truman’ plow in Bonner Springs but my favorite is ‘The Garden of Eden in Lucas. For myself I ride cross country on my mare from Mound Cty to Fort Scott every Spring. It’s like going to church for three days. Ridiculously beautiful.
Conservatives in the heartland have persuaded themselves to vote against their own economic and social well-being
“Thou shalt not covet.”
Says everything about the ‘progressive’ agenda....
By contrast, places run by liberals for generations are veritable paradises. Consider, for example, Detroit.
It’s hard to beat Prarie Dog Town in Oakly for sheer rip off - though there’s a gas station in Hayes that comes close with the way they’ve rigged their pumps. But as you pointed out, the true beauty of this state - in addition to her people - are the natural beauties covering much if it. I’ve driven through the Flint Hills with family and friends and they’re left speechless.
The standard liberal claim that the people “vote against their own self-interest” is highly insulting. It’s just another example of the left’s belief that only they know what’s best for anyone, and that they have to tell the rest of us what to do and if need be force us to do it.
Total bullcrap. This liberal fallacy stems from their willfull ignorance of economics, the belief that big government, wellfare and handouts to farmers will benefit ordinary Kansans. Wrong. Small government, reduced regulation, a free market and low taxes is what will benefit ordinary Kansans. They get it and Ebert and his cronies don't.
Kansas was populist, not liberal, in the early 20th Century. As was much of the plains, intermountain West and the South. When the Democrats abandoned the Roosevelt coalition and went hard left around 1970, adopting a foreign policy based on appeasement and isolationism and at the same time throwing over the populists by embracing abortion and other policies loathsome to people of faith, they lost the populists. And Kansas.
So thank God the libs took complete control of the government. Now we have full employment, an economic boom, world-wide respect, OBL in jail, and the war on terror is won! /s
They're doing themselves no favors by voting against their own interests and might hold onto their values while still voting more selectively.
These good people are voting against themselves.
I've seen the author of the book on CSPAN, and both the writer of the article and the book's author make an assumption that most Conservatives would say is faulty, while leftists take it as gospel... That by empowering government to "take care of you," you'll live a better, happier life. The author of the book believes that when a conservative wants to be left alone by the government, he's rejecting the wonders of government that will make all his or her problems go away. The author's premise is that conservatives are "voting against their own interests" by doing so. They are so incredibly wrong! It's really a good example of the major difference between conservatives and leftists.
IMHO, and that of conservatives and libertarians, the books and article's authors are completely wrong at their premise, and get it worse and worse from there.
Mark
HEY!!!! I just saw Asia as the opening act for Yes, and they were really amazing, once of the best shows I've ever seen! The best part of the show was when the band performed a song by each members' previous bands... Since they were opening for Yes, they didn't play anything by Yes, though Steve Howe did have an extensive solo set (and he played both sets, with Asia AND Yes!). They seemed to be having fun when they did "Video Killed the Radio Star" (Jeffery Downs of the Buggles), but what really rocked the house was when they played "Fanfare for the Common Man," (Carl Palmer of ELP) and "Court of the Crimson King" (John Wetton of King Crimson). I've never been to a concert before where every member of the audience was disappointed that there was no encore for the opening act.
Asia ROCKS! (And Kansas is pretty darned good too! "Point of Know Return" is an awesome album, as is "Song for America.")
Mark
Actually, it IS the name of the band. It was shortened from the original "CTA" or "Chicago Transit Authority." (from an interview I heard many years ago with Peter Cetera).
Mark
Don’t forget that Kansas has one of the best space museums in the world, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS
Mark
Better title for the Movie: “What’s the Matter with Manhattan?”
The review was by Roger Ebert, author of such nonpartisan prose as “I don’t like you, John McCain” and “Obama is my guy!”; of a film by Joe Winston, Obama’s neighbor and on-record contributor to Democrat Howard Dean; from a book by Tom Frank, so far Left he attacks the Democratic party for being too conservative!
With this agitprop pedigree, I’m surprised Ebert gave the movie only 3-1/2 stars.
The state went Wilson on a split Republican vote in 1912 and voted a second term in '16. They voted Roosevelt only twice and by comparatively small margins. Other than that they have been solid "R". The Governorship has flipped a few times but that is a measure of displeasure with the Republican Party.
The Democrats didn't lose Kansas in the '70s. It wasn't theirs to lose. The Republicans may lose it and it will be over abortion.
In what sense do you believe abortion could end the Republican hold on Kansas?
Kansas should have been a natural on abortion. I was in Kansas when the Catholics took on the Baptists in Louisiana and Texas and won. Kansas cheered. Then the Baptists decided that they were again' abortion and started rollin' holy through Kansas. Kansas is a highly educated state and it didn't sit well at all to have a bunch of goobers telling them whatfor. Especially when the goobers had been the cause of the problem. The Party split into factions and they hardened.
Kansas is now a 50 - 50 state on abortion when it should be 70 - 30. I am back through the area now and again and families that had been Republican since Lincoln are now Democrats. They don't like being steamrolled.
I grew up in Kansas and understand the recent divisions. I also recognize you have a big dog in the recent fights. But this is really silly. You are talking about a three time Presidential candidate from an adjonining state. He was a big deal, even if he had trouble taking Kansas away from it's Republican roots. He was not just an "interesting speaker."
I am now an outside observer, but I'd say from your posts you are a poster child for why Kansas Republicans, who dominated the state in my day, are so bitterly divided they are handing opportunities to the Democrats in one of most Republican states in the Union. Why can't you guys get your act together? And I don't want to hear about how rotten the other faction is. Why can't you guys get it together?
Socialists turn into communists as soon as they realize that the People will never voluntarily submit.
"What's the Matter With Kansas?" is, just like "What is to Be Done?", an elaborate rationale for a revolutionary vanguard, the red terror, and all the rest of that Bolshevik crap.
The Democratic party is being converted from Menshevik to Bolshevik right before our eyes.
"What's the Matter With Kansas" is the script.
Based on the review the film was pretty even handed.
Insofar as being an interesting speaker, that is exactly what he was. Between and after races he joined the Chautauqua circuit.
I haven’t spent a lot of time in Kansas for thirty or more years. I have some family there and some friends. I think about four years ago there was an article posted on FR about Republicans switching to the Democrats. Some of the names I recognized from when I was there as a kid. Since then I’ve made a point of calling, writing and visiting when opportunity allows.
The abortion rate bothers me greatly. Colorado was the first state to legalize abortion without restriction. Opinion polls there are 70% in favor of abortion and yet the rate of abortion is a full third lower than Kansas, a 50 – 50 state. What I am hearing, over and over, is that the crusaders have made themselves so obnoxious that it has legitimized abortion. The backlash has allowed the likes of Sebelius and Tiller.
Kansas and Colorado have similar voting histories. They’ve parted ways when it suited their own interests but they’ve pretty much been in parallel in national elections. Yet now Colorado has a Democratic Governor, 2 Democratic Senators and 5 of 7 Democratic Representatives and they voted Obama. Why can't you guys get it together?
I don't know about the whole state, but I do know that there has been a bitter feud in Johnson County, Kansas, between pro-abortion "main street" Republicans and anti-abortion "values voters," mainly evangelical Christians. That is what has lead to a Democrat holding what had always been a Republican seat in Congress. As it's my old stamping grounds, I find it very sad people can't see we agree on so much more than we disagree.
Colorado has changed a lot in recent years with immigration from other states, but historically has had an Old West libertarian streak that has lead some conservatives to support legalized abortion. I would not read too much into the defeat of the last anti-abortion ballot measure. It was poorly drafted and in my opinion overly broad, which generally leads to unintended consequences. I think something narrowly drafted to reach a specific problem in the abortion arena would stand a good chance of passage.
It's a good example of what we are talking about. It was either in Johnson County or over in Salina that I heard the most elegant speech that I have ever heard against abortion. My thinking hadn't developed much beyond "If you make a conscious decision to end a human life, you have committed murder." but it was a Catholic clergyman that outlined the hundreds of years of background theological argument behind their position. It was low key, nonconfrontational and, judging from the audience, very effective. THAT is how you convince Johnson County voters.
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