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PROFILE

Thomas Frank Guest

Thomas Frank

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Salon / The Baffler

Politics and culture columnist for Salon and founding editor of The Baffler magazine; former columnist for Harper's magazine and former opinion columnist at the Wall Street Journal; author of What’s the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America; The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule, Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right and Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?

FROM Thomas Frank

The Brave New World of Presidential Politics

The Brave New World of Presidential Politics It's all but certain that a real estate magnate and reality TV star who's never held political office will be this year's Republican nominee for the White House. Ted Cruz has dropped out , John Kasich's campaign is over , and Donald Trump is the only GOP candidate left standing. Will the nominating convention be able to hold the party together this summer? Yesterday, Bernie Sanders won , too. He's still challenging Hillary Clinton on some of the same economic issues that are working for Trump. Have the Democrats helped pave the road for Trump by ceasing to be the Party of Working People?

32 MIN, 25 SEC May 04, 2016

Thomas Frank and the New "Liberal"

Scheer Intelligence

Thomas Frank and the New "Liberal" Robert Scheer sits down with writer Thomas Frank to discuss his new book about the changing face of liberals.

35 MIN, 10 SEC Mar 18, 2016

In Governors’ Races, Is Conservative Governance on the Ballot Too?

In Governors’ Races, Is Conservative Governance on the Ballot Too? Four years ago, Republican Sam Brownback was elected Governor of Kansas with double the votes of his Democratic opponent. He declared his administration would be a “real live experiment” in achieving prosperity by reducing the role of government and creating a model for other states. Some Republican business interests aren’t feeling the sunshine. They’re supporting Brownback’s Democratic opponent, Paul Davis.

36 MIN, 30 SEC Oct 08, 2014

What's Still the Matter with Kansas?

What's Still the Matter with Kansas? In 2004, as his home-state politics were swinging between the moderate and conservative wings of the Republican Party, Thomas Frank wrote the book, What's the Matter with Kansas? Now, in Harper's magazine, he says former US Senator Sam Brownback "has treated his governorship as a chance to enact the entire conservative wish list all at once." Frank, who remembers Kansas as a place where "the machinery of the state" was used "to support small towns and small farmers and build a system if interstate highways," now says there's a "collective hallucination" that's turned the political climate "toxic."

6 MIN, 3 SEC Jul 05, 2012

Are 'Tea Parties' Real Politics?

Which Way, L.A.?

Are 'Tea Parties' Real Politics? In the first year of the Obama Administration, the "tea party" movement made almost as much news as the federal stimulus, Wall Street, healthcare and the President himself. Who organizes tea parties? Who goes to them? Do they believe in "principles" or the slogans they chant for TV news cameras? Could they become a coherent "movement" that could be seized by a charismatic candidate, like Sarah Palin?

27 MIN, 24 SEC Jan 11, 2010

Are 'Tea Parties' Real Politics? Can They Make a Difference?

Are 'Tea Parties' Real Politics? Can They Make a Difference? In the first year of the Obama Administration, the “tea party” movement made almost as much news as the federal stimulus, Wall Street, healthcare and the President himself. But tea-party participants often insist they are “principled conservatives,” not scornful Republicans, even as some Republican leaders try to soak up their energy. Who organizes tea parties? Who goes to them? Do they believe in “principles” or the slogans they chant for TV news cameras? Could they become a coherent “movement” that could be seized by a charismatic candidate, like Sarah Palin?

36 MIN, 46 SEC Jan 11, 2010

Recommended

Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t

Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?

51 MIN, 17 SEC Jun 12, 2017

The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan?

The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?

51 MIN, 16 SEC May 30, 2017

Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming

Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.

51 MIN, 20 SEC May 31, 2017

What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace?

What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?

51 MIN, 5 SEC May 23, 2017