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Distinguishing Obama from Frank

By John Tabin on 4.13.08 @ 11:20AM

In a few places I've seen Obama's bitter-Pennsylvanians remark interpreted as the "Thomas Frankian idea that getting-by small town voters are being snookered into voting Republican over Gods, Guns and Gays." But Obama wasn't saying that cultural issues are a distraction from economic issues -- he was saying that downscale voters "cling to guns or religion" etc. because they're bitter about economic circumstances. Correct me if I'm wrong -- I haven't read What's the Matter With Kansas? -- but isn't that a little different from, and more radical than, Frank's thesis?

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