Thomas Frank is a prominent political commentator and the founding editor of The Baffler magazine. He is the author of many books including One Market Under God, What's the Matter with Kansas? The Wrecking Crew, Pity the Billionaire and Listen, Liberal.
The ironies, agonies and hypocrisies of the U.S. political system are in high-relief during a presidential election year. The role of big money undermines the integrity of one person, one vote. The state of the electoral infrastructure, almost laughable, is a national embarrassment: long lines, broken machines and purges of voters without their knowledge. And another thing that the primaries have made abundantly clear: a two-party monopoly snuffs out populist uprisings and credible third party challenges. Working class people are propagandized into voting against their own interests. Indeed, what has happened to the Democrats, the so-called party of the people? Why is the Democratic Party where movements for progressive social change go to die?