Author Archive

Donn Teske for Vice-President!
… of the National Farmers Union. He’s running, and you can find out more here.
Donn is known to viewers of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” as a gruffly eloquent Kansas farmer, who is currently President of the Kansas Farmers Union. He works tireless to save small family farms like his across his state. [...]

What’s still the Matter with Kansas?
Thomas Frank kicked off a new series of columns at Salon.com by updating us on What’s the Matter with Kansas?
He notes that the forces of populism in Kansas, today as during the Bush years, are pushing the state further and further to right, politically:
Today, in the seventh year of the Slump from Hell, it is [...]

“Pity the Billionaire” – new from Tom Frank
Thomas Frank’s new book, “Pity the Billionaire” is now on sale. The book dovetails perfectly with “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” to update how the conservative right has surged back to power after the 2008 economic crisis.
Tom begins his book tour, with the following schedule. Check Tom’s web site for venue and other details.
Wednesday, January [...]

Ambivalent about “Occupy”
Roger Ebert, one the country’s most respected film critics, is a prolific writer with many interests, including politics (he is an outspoken liberal.) Today, he weighed in on the Occupy Wall Street Movement which swept the country this fall. Whereas many liberals and progressives are relieved that a leftist movement has finally captured the public’s [...]

Republican pollster: don’t say “capitalism!”
“I’m so scared of this anti-Wall Street effort. I’m frightened to death…They’re having an impact on what the American people think of capitalism.”
Those were the words of Frank Lunz, a master Republican pollster and strategist, when he spoke recently to the Republican Governors Association meeting. Apparently, the popularity of Occupy Wall Street is a big [...]

Emma Sullivan vs. Sam Brownback
On November 21, Emma Sullivan, a senior at Shawnee Mission East High School, was on a field trip to the Kansas state capitol with Youth in Government. Listening to Governor Sam Brownback, whose conservative politics clash with her own, Emma tweeted to her 60 followers: “Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he [...]

“What’s the Matter with Kansas?” honored by POV
We were pleased to discover that POV, the acclaimed and reliable outlet for independently produced documentaries on PBS television, included “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” when compiling a United States of Documentaries, a list of the best documentaries covering each of the 50 states.
As the POV bloggers write,
The United States of Documentaries is a representation [...]

Kansas Tea Party convention CANCELLED
In the wake of the Iowa Republican Straw Poll, we’ve learned that “Freedomfest 2011,” the Tea Party Straw Poll planned for Kansas City, Kansas in October 2011 has been cancelled.
The organizers cited financial difficulties, and an alarming lack of interest from those who should have been the backbone of the event – Tea Party groups [...]

“Not in Kan… oh, wait, yes we are”
Michael Charney of the blog “Chasing Glenn Beck” was inspired to review “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” and his full post follows. You can read the original on his blog.
Kansas has long served as a powerful metaphor for our country. When L. Frank Baum first wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, he chose Kansas [...]

“What’s the Matter with Kansas?” is a Netflix favorite!
We recently came across a map of Netflix “local favorites” across the country, generated by the good folks at Slacktory… we’ve altered it to highlight the finding that “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” is a favorite in, yes, Kansas (along with “Ducktales, Volume One.”)
From WebProNews:
Some highlights include the southern portion of Texas liking The Alamo, while the [...]

Special Screening in Pittsburg, KS – Sunday, June 26
Democratic Party activists in Southeastern Kansas – once home to the Socialist newspaper “Appeal to Reason,” – have organized a FREE screening of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”
From their announcement:
A video showing of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” has been scheduled promptly for 3 P.M., Sunday, June 26, Memorial Auditorium, Fifth & Pine, Pittsburg, KS.
Following [...]