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Talking Points Memo shout-out
Matt Dallek of Talking Points Memo writes about the fast-approaching Politics on Film Festival. Of course, we’re tickled to now suddenly be considered “Hollywood.” But if you want to contrast the stereotypical “Hollywood” approach to conservative Middle America with our movie, check out Religulous by Bill Mahr. We’re fans of his TV show, but not of this mean-spirited movie, which for all it’s barrage of cheap shots and cheeky humor, we can’t imagine convincing anyone to change their mind about anything.
Special sneak preview screening – May 9, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
“What’s the Matter with Kansas?” will have a Sneak Preview screening at the Politics on Film festival in Washington, D.C. Filmmakers Laura Cohen and Joe Winston, and author Thomas Frank will all be in attendance. (…)
Tax day “Tea Parties” – populist outrage or manufactured spectacle?
The Tax Day tea parties, which emanated from some CNBC’s Rick Santelli reporting about Obama’s plan to bail out some distressed mortgage holders, have certainly made a splash. (…)
Radio interview today
Laura and Joe will record a live interview about “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” on Community Bridge Radio, starting at 5:00 pm today, April 2, 2009, on KSDB 91.9 FM Manhattan. You can listen live via your computer by going to http://www.wildcat919.com and clicking on the “Listen Live” button at the top of the page. (…)
Is Frank Rich right about the culture wars?
Frank Rich thinks the culture wars are dead, washed away by the economic meltdown and election of Obama. Future Majority and Daily Kos seems to largely agree. Fingerlakeswanderer begs to differ. (…)
Film Threat review – 3 1/2 stars!
Film Threat magazine has just posted a very favorable review of our movie, wherein James Teitelbaum writes: “In these troubled times…. (…)
The next generation
Okay, so everyone’s been impressed by now by how much Obama inspired youthful activism in the 2008 election cycle. In making our movie, “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” we spent a fair amount of time with young conservative activists who were equally impressive. So check out this kid at last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC.) He’s profiled in today’s New York Times. (…)
Return of the conservative populists?
David Sirota, writing in Salon, muses that Republicans could revive their fortunes if they embrace populism, as Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul did during the primary campaign, calling Wall Street tycoons “criminals.”
Of course, at some point such rhetoric would need to be backed up by real policy proposals. (…)
This week’s web chatter
We noticed some more activity on the blogs this week. Happy in Bag considers the contrariness that makes Kansans Kansans (we wholeheartedly agree!) Meanwhile, Otto’s War Room thinks it’s foolish to discredit the role of religion in politics.
Kansas Populism, then and now
Thomas Frank, in his column in today’s Wall Street Journal, calls the billions of dollars in Wall Street bonuses an outrage, and refers back to, yes, his home state of Kansas and the Populist movement which took the state by storm in the 1890s. (…)