Barney Frank Dies at 86, Leaving Behind a Political Legacy That Quietly Changed Washington

Barney Frank Dies at 86 Years of Age – However, He Could Have Left Behind a Legacy That You Didn’t Even Realize

Former congressman from the United States of America, Barney Frank, has died at the age of 86. The passing of this great man brings our thoughts back to one of the most popular politicians of the latter half of the last century.

There are lots of headlines dedicated to his long-term activities within Congress, his involvement in numerous financial reforms and heated arguments on national television. However, there could be something else that should not be overlooked by us, as we do not pay any attention to something that becomes normal.

Barney Frank succeeded in changing people’s view of American politicians.

Thus, by the time the moment of truth came, he managed to change Americans’ attitudes to politicians and thus created an entirely new generation of them.

Politics before Barney Frank

As today, Americans have gotten used to political leaders laying their personal lives bare:

• personal relationships
• families
• identity
• challenges
• social views on social media

But the political landscape was very different when Barney Frank embarked on his political career in the 1970s.

A leader’s persona was consciously crafted and cultivated. There were many elements of one’s private life that posed serious difficulties politically, especially where matters of sexual orientation were concerned. The expectation was that political leaders conform to the image of a particular mold, and failing to do so could bring serious problems.

There is little one can say to describe just how remarkable this became over time.

Frank’s coming out of the closet in the 1980s was no small matter since there weren’t many gay politicians in the political scene in America.

The act did not appear to many to be a milestone in culture, but rather in politics.

The “Normalizing Effect”

Where Frank’s influence on public life has been unique is in the fact that it was not always due to the memorable speeches he made.

Instead, a lot of Frank’s influence came down to simply showing up in the same places over and over again:

• Committees
• TV interviews
• Political talks
• Finance policy talks
• National politics

After enough time, a strange thing began to happen:

An “openly gay congressman” stopped standing out. Instead, a “Barney Frank” stood out.

It might sound trivial, but this carries significant political weight.

Whenever academics talk about cultural shifts, they are usually talking about events where the entire flow of history gets changed overnight. But Frank’s influence certainly did not work that way.

It was gradual, even boring. In some ways, it might have had a bigger impact than any specific accomplishment.

More Than Just a Man and His Successes

As people mourn Frank and remember his achievements, they are also remembering how far American politics have come since Frank’s tenure.

Right now, there are openly LGBT governors, secretaries of state, mayors, congressmen, and even potential presidents. The idea of that would not even have been conceivable in America only decades ago.

Although Frank was not responsible for making all of this happen alone, he definitely was part of turning “controversial” into history.

In fact, one way of seeing the effect that Frank might have had would be to consider how people in later generations view these matters.

Sometimes, when we belong to a younger generation, we do not even stop to think about how things were different before.

A Different Side of His Legacy: Financial Reform

Needless to say, there was more to his legacy beyond culture representation.

He became synonymous with the Dodd-Frank regulations which were introduced in response to the 2008 financial crisis, in order to impose greater regulatory oversight on Wall Street and financial giants.

But even here, he represented another political shift.

Frank was one among the many politicians that were more dependent on the workings of committee influence than the politics of social media that have come to dominate modern politics.

Regardless of where one stood politically, there was no denying that he knew how to legislate.

Political Personality for TV, Not Social Media

Yet another aspect that made Frank unique had something to do with timing.

While rising to popularity during the period when the impact of television media was greater than the impact of social media phenomenon that we could possibly imagine, it is important to realize what made him a very watchable person in spite of the fact that political personalities have not yet become social media stars.

In today’s society, Frank would definitely keep posting on social networks all day long, while at the same time remaining one of the few congressman who gained their popularity through television media only.

The strange transition nature of the Frank career is evident in politics and media alike.

The Importance of Recalling the Difference Made

Upon being notified of the death of Frank, many political leaders, lobbyists, and colleagues paid tribute.

There were individuals who recognized the importance of the legislation that he had introduced. There were also those who noted the advances he had made concerning representation. But what really made an impression was just how widespread some of these “advances” have become.

An impact such as this cannot be measured easily.

Frank did not simply pass bills and garner publicity. He transformed the political scene completely.

A lot of Americans just took what he did for granted.

By David Loran Jr

A successful Editor-in-Chief, journalist for over 6 years, writing about important topics that are going on within the U.S. and beyond.

Sources:

NBC 10 News: Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank dies at age 86

The Chicago Tribune: Barney Frank, a liberal congressman and trailblazer for gay rights, dies. He was 86.

WCVB: Former Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank dies at 86

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