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What's the Matter With Kansas?
Wall Street Journal ^ | December 6, 2004 | Steven Malanga

Posted on 12/06/2004 11:15:14 AM PST by RWR8189

Not a thing, it turns out.

Kansas is a reliable "red" state; President Bush carried it by nearly 21% in 2000 and padded his margin to nearly 26% this year. The state's rock-solid support of Mr. Bush and other conservative candidates has sent at least one of its native sons, political commentator Thomas Frank, into paroxysms of rage. In his new book, "What's the Matter With Kansas?," Mr. Frank argues that all those Jayhawk State rubes have got things backward: They've continued to vote Republican as the state goes through economic hardship, even though, by doing so, they're voting against their own economic interests. The book is a big hit with left-leaning commentators and has sold very well, making the author something of a celebrity on the talk-show circuit.

In purple prose, Mr. Frank paints a grim picture of the state and its towns. Kansas is "pretty much in a free fall," he informs us, and as a result of its economic devastation, it's "a civilization in the early stages of irreversible decay." The cause of all this decline, he says, is modern capitalism, especially as practiced by all those businessmen-Republicans. Kansas is "burning on a free-market pyre," he writes. Things are especially bad in his old hometown of Shawnee, where, during his visits, he no longer sees anyone in the streets. Instead, "heaps of rusting junk and snarling rottweilers" blight the landscape.

 

alt

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: bookreview; kansas; matterwithkansas; thomasfrank; values
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To: RWR8189

I can't argue that Free Trade is a real bad deal, look around the conditions in many if not most U.S. cities, roads are full of pot holes, store fronts closed, illegals making up almost 50% of the population in some states, but the demonrats sure are no solution. They got us here with give aways and Republicans got us here with onesided trade deals.

I as far as what I have seen we should scrap the lot of them as offensive to our sensibilities, that should please the ACLU, right, and start over.


61 posted on 12/06/2004 12:42:47 PM PST by MissAmericanPie
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To: Non-Sequitur

Look, your guy Moore won. Show some class and back off Kobach for awhile.


62 posted on 12/06/2004 12:49:03 PM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
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To: bad company
There is crime but the cops prefer it if you shoot back. (something about less paperwork)


That is both amusing and frightening.

63 posted on 12/06/2004 12:51:59 PM PST by freeparella (I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising Him.)
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To: RWR8189

In Fargo, I chuckled as a spandex clad lawyerish guy jogged down the middle of Broadway during the lunch hour. Our Metro area is 200,000 very relgious souls, and business is booming. But you can still run right down the main street at lunch, and not worry about the cars!


64 posted on 12/06/2004 12:52:01 PM PST by Uncle Miltie (Democrat Obstructionists will be Daschled!)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past
Show some class and back off Kobach for awhile.

So what's Kris going to do now that has destroyed his political career?

65 posted on 12/06/2004 12:55:23 PM PST by Non-Sequitur (Jefferson Davis - the first 'selected, not elected' president.)
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To: freeparella
That is both amusing and frightening.

It's also the truth. Shortly after I moved here I was hired at a grocery store on the bad side of town essentially as a hired thug. Two weeks into this job Two of the local bottomfeeders came to cause trouble. I guess on their way to the store they had hassled two older black ladies using the telephone in the parkinglot. I wound up fighting both of the bottomfeeders in the parking lot. I put one in the hospital and beat the other pretty badly. The whole time the ladies were cheering me on.(That's what you get for messin with old people!) The cops got there, recognized the bottomfeeders and one by one the cops took me to the side to shake my hand.

I love Kansas.

66 posted on 12/06/2004 1:02:32 PM PST by bad company (I'm a new Grandpa.)
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To: bad company

Where do you work? I'm coming there to buy groceries!


67 posted on 12/06/2004 1:20:46 PM PST by Sunshine Sister
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To: bad company

Where do you work? I'm coming there to buy groceries!


68 posted on 12/06/2004 1:20:52 PM PST by Sunshine Sister
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To: Non-Sequitur
So what's Kris going to do now that has destroyed his political career?

Funny question coming from someone who CLAIMS he voted for Kris. (Liar, liar!)

69 posted on 12/06/2004 1:25:16 PM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
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To: Non-Sequitur
But not conservative enough for Kris Kobach.

Does that also explain Kansas' socialist governor?
70 posted on 12/06/2004 1:39:00 PM PST by Galactic Overlord-In-Chief (Congratulations to Senator-elect David Vitter, the first GOP senator from LA since Reconstruction!)
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To: Non-Sequitur
I'll buy that as well. As I said, it was not a well-run campaign by his group, and Moore's team made them pay for it at every step along the way.
71 posted on 12/06/2004 2:14:35 PM PST by Jokelahoma (Animal testing is a bad idea. They get all nervous and give wrong answers.)
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To: Sunshine Sister
"You have not seen much of Kansas if you think it's flat. Only in western Kansas."

It's not flat out here either, you can only see the top half or so of the grain elevators from 30 miles away. . .

;^)

72 posted on 12/06/2004 5:50:01 PM PST by Dust in the Wind (I've got peace like a river . . .)
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To: RWR8189

Franks is a typical leftist liar who makes up whatever "facts" he needs. The ironic part is that he's from eastern Kansas, which is "rich" compared to the rest of the state.


73 posted on 12/06/2004 6:02:12 PM PST by ozzymandus
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To: Sunshine Sister

That was Waymires IGA. JR Waymire retired about five years back. I hated to see that. He was one of the greatest guys I've ever worked for.


74 posted on 12/06/2004 10:27:09 PM PST by bad company (I'm a new Grandpa.)
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To: dd5339

Yea well... I didn't vote for her.


75 posted on 12/07/2004 9:21:55 AM PST by cavtrooper21 (Bun-Bun sez: "Let's rock, Tommie !" Ker-shnick!!!! "Wuss-boy!!")
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To: Non-Sequitur

That's my impression too, that the pubbies were very divided and that's how Moore got in. I am close to a couple of Goldwater conservatives in JoCo who for some reason have a bone to pick with Christian conservatives and ended up siding with the moderates in the primary. They didn't vote for the pubbie but won't tell me if they voted for Moore. I think a lot of pubbies stayed home for a couple of elections. Now, Moore is an entrenched incumbent.IMHO the best shot for getting rid of Moore is if he would take on Brownback.


76 posted on 12/07/2004 9:39:45 AM PST by colorado tanker (The People Have Spoken)
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To: RWR8189
Kansas is conservative but weak, and moderately so..
Kansas has the want too, but just can't get it up..
To a honestly hard definition of conservative.. a bit limp..
Pity.. a very good lookin State too..
77 posted on 12/07/2004 9:40:47 AM PST by hosepipe (This Propaganda has been edited to include not a small amount of Hyperbole..)
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To: RWR8189
Too bad that Kansas was just ranked as the most economically free states in the US. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/10307144.htm?1c

And Both sides of Kansas City are growing nicely thank you! Manhattan, home of Kansas State University, is hardly recognizable from 4-5 years ago, as it is growing so quickly.

As a young entrepreneur, I decided to stay in Kansas City, because there is a boom starting now, and potential for much more. Add that to the cost of living, and fewer regulations than most states and you have a great mix to start a business.
78 posted on 12/07/2004 10:01:47 AM PST by Andrewksu
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