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The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence
In this well-rounded, deeply-investigated biography, the first full look at the vice president, two award-winning journalists unmask the real Mike Pence.
Little-known outside his home state until Donald Trump made him his running mate, Mike Pence—who proclaims himself a Christian first, a conservative second, and a Republican third—has long worn a carefully-constructed mask of Midwestern nice. Behind his self-proclaimed humility and self-abasing deference, however, hides a man whose own presidential ambitions have blazed since high school. Pence’s drive for power, perhaps inspired by his belief that God might have big plans for him, explains why he shocked his allies by lending Christian credibility to a scandal-plagued candidate like Trump.
In this landmark biography, Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael D’Antonio and Emmy-nominated journalist Peter Eisner follow the path Pence followed from Catholic Democrat to conservative evangelical Republican. They reveal how he used his time as rightwing radio star to build connections with powerful donors; how he was a lackluster lawmaker in Congress but a prodigious fundraiser from the GOP’s billionaire benefactors; and how, once he locked in his views on the issues—anti-gay, pro-gun, anti-abortion, pro big-business—he became laser-focused on his own pursuit of power.
As THE SHADOW PRESIDENT reveals, Mike Pence is the most important and powerful Christian Right politician America has ever seen. Driven as much by theology as personal ambition, Pence is now positioned to seize the big prize—the presidency—and use it to fashion a nation more pleasing to his god and corporate sponsors.
Little-known outside his home state until Donald Trump made him his running mate, Mike Pence—who proclaims himself a Christian first, a conservative second, and a Republican third—has long worn a carefully-constructed mask of Midwestern nice. Behind his self-proclaimed humility and self-abasing deference, however, hides a man whose own presidential ambitions have blazed since high school. Pence’s drive for power, perhaps inspired by his belief that God might have big plans for him, explains why he shocked his allies by lending Christian credibility to a scandal-plagued candidate like Trump.
In this landmark biography, Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael D’Antonio and Emmy-nominated journalist Peter Eisner follow the path Pence followed from Catholic Democrat to conservative evangelical Republican. They reveal how he used his time as rightwing radio star to build connections with powerful donors; how he was a lackluster lawmaker in Congress but a prodigious fundraiser from the GOP’s billionaire benefactors; and how, once he locked in his views on the issues—anti-gay, pro-gun, anti-abortion, pro big-business—he became laser-focused on his own pursuit of power.
As THE SHADOW PRESIDENT reveals, Mike Pence is the most important and powerful Christian Right politician America has ever seen. Driven as much by theology as personal ambition, Pence is now positioned to seize the big prize—the presidency—and use it to fashion a nation more pleasing to his god and corporate sponsors.
308 pages, Hardcover
Published August 28, 2018
232 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Michael D'Antonio
37 books93 followersA Pulitzer Prize winning writer of books, articles, and original stories for film, Michael D’Antonio has published more than a dozen books, including Never Enough, a 2015 biography of presidential candidate and billionaire businessman Donald Trump. Described variously as “luminous,” “captivating,” “momentous” and “meticulous” Michael’s work is renowned for its clarity, balance, and thoroughness.
His works a have been noted as “best books of the year” or “editors’ picks” by The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Businessweek, The Chicago Tribune and Publisher’s Weekly. He has appeared on Sixty Minutes, Today, Good Morning, The Morning Show, America, Larry King Live, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Diane Rehm, Coast-to-Coast, and many other programs.
Before becoming a fulltime author, Michael worked as a journalist in New York, Washington, and Maine. He has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The Times of London Magazine, Discover, Sports Illustrated, The Los Angeles Times Magazine and many others. He has received numerous awards including the 1984 Pulitzer Prize, shared with a team at Newsday that explored the medical, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the Baby Jane Doe case.
In 2016, Michael has became a regular contributor for CNN, both on-air and on their website. His pieces can be read here: http://www.cnn.com/profiles/michael-d...
D’Antonio has been the recipient of the Alicia Patterson Fellowship, the First Amendment Award, and the Humanitas Award for his Showtime film, Crown Heights. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Michael now lives on Long Island with his wife, Toni Raiten-D’Antonio who is a psychotherapist, professor, and author of three acclaimed books.
His works a have been noted as “best books of the year” or “editors’ picks” by The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Businessweek, The Chicago Tribune and Publisher’s Weekly. He has appeared on Sixty Minutes, Today, Good Morning, The Morning Show, America, Larry King Live, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Diane Rehm, Coast-to-Coast, and many other programs.
Before becoming a fulltime author, Michael worked as a journalist in New York, Washington, and Maine. He has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The Times of London Magazine, Discover, Sports Illustrated, The Los Angeles Times Magazine and many others. He has received numerous awards including the 1984 Pulitzer Prize, shared with a team at Newsday that explored the medical, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the Baby Jane Doe case.
In 2016, Michael has became a regular contributor for CNN, both on-air and on their website. His pieces can be read here: http://www.cnn.com/profiles/michael-d...
D’Antonio has been the recipient of the Alicia Patterson Fellowship, the First Amendment Award, and the Humanitas Award for his Showtime film, Crown Heights. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Michael now lives on Long Island with his wife, Toni Raiten-D’Antonio who is a psychotherapist, professor, and author of three acclaimed books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 10, 2018
* One cannot read a politically driven book without writing a politically driven review so if you are avoiding US politics , please pass on this review.*
Fascinating ( albeit slightly biased ) history of Michael Pence :his childhood and family, his radio persona, his political career. I could not stop reading even though it gave me nightmares that this man could become President of the U.S. He comes across as strident in his views and unwilling to listen to opposing views. He seems quite manipulative and driven in his desire to force others to live by his beliefs and rules. He was trained as a lawyer and although he never really practiced the law , he should understand the separation of Church and State upon which our country was founded. He appears to have no respect it. His humbleness persona is just that, a persona that he has discovered wins over the "everyman". He has lied throughout his career even on the floor of congress. He was an inept Governor of Indiana and a quite inept member of Congress . He is a huge money raiser for Koch brothers and if you look at Trump's Cabinet you can identify Pences's beliefs. He led the transition team and filled the Cabinet with his friends ( the DeVos family, Pruitt,etc) and billionaire friends chosen by the Koch family. Since I believe in freedom of religion and equality of ethnic groups, and equal rights for the gay community , I have to admit that I was biased as I began this book and it reinforced all of my fears rather than allaying any of them. I believe in freedom of choice for all Americans to live their life by their beliefs as long as they don't infringe on another's rights or endanger another's life. Any time that a person believes that God has chosen him and gives him permission to push his beliefs on others we are witnessing nothing less than a Jihad or Holy War no matter the religion that leads it. We are witnessing an emerging oligarch and dictator but worse a dictator who thinks he is chosen by God. Remember the Divine Right Monarchies of France? Watch his actions, because they are an act, instead look at his body of work. It is quite amazing that he has avoided or been out of the country when many of the big Trump issues have occurred -whether he is protecting himself or whether he is being protected incase of a Trump impeachment ( his greatest wish and stepping stone- because VP are not vetted as closely as Presidential candidates) but remember he was head of the Trump transition, he placed most of the incompetents in office and he must have been aware of much, if not all, that was going on behind the scenes.If Trump would read the fraternity story in this book, he would start to experience even more paranoia. Several other tales from his life reinforce this M.O.
I found the book informative and well written by Michael D'Antonio who is a writer, journalist, contributor to CNN and Pulitzer Prize awardee. By reading the appendix , it appears to be fact checked and fact driven. I am sure that a Fox affiliated writer will write a counter- history.
Fascinating ( albeit slightly biased ) history of Michael Pence :his childhood and family, his radio persona, his political career. I could not stop reading even though it gave me nightmares that this man could become President of the U.S. He comes across as strident in his views and unwilling to listen to opposing views. He seems quite manipulative and driven in his desire to force others to live by his beliefs and rules. He was trained as a lawyer and although he never really practiced the law , he should understand the separation of Church and State upon which our country was founded. He appears to have no respect it. His humbleness persona is just that, a persona that he has discovered wins over the "everyman". He has lied throughout his career even on the floor of congress. He was an inept Governor of Indiana and a quite inept member of Congress . He is a huge money raiser for Koch brothers and if you look at Trump's Cabinet you can identify Pences's beliefs. He led the transition team and filled the Cabinet with his friends ( the DeVos family, Pruitt,etc) and billionaire friends chosen by the Koch family. Since I believe in freedom of religion and equality of ethnic groups, and equal rights for the gay community , I have to admit that I was biased as I began this book and it reinforced all of my fears rather than allaying any of them. I believe in freedom of choice for all Americans to live their life by their beliefs as long as they don't infringe on another's rights or endanger another's life. Any time that a person believes that God has chosen him and gives him permission to push his beliefs on others we are witnessing nothing less than a Jihad or Holy War no matter the religion that leads it. We are witnessing an emerging oligarch and dictator but worse a dictator who thinks he is chosen by God. Remember the Divine Right Monarchies of France? Watch his actions, because they are an act, instead look at his body of work. It is quite amazing that he has avoided or been out of the country when many of the big Trump issues have occurred -whether he is protecting himself or whether he is being protected incase of a Trump impeachment ( his greatest wish and stepping stone- because VP are not vetted as closely as Presidential candidates) but remember he was head of the Trump transition, he placed most of the incompetents in office and he must have been aware of much, if not all, that was going on behind the scenes.If Trump would read the fraternity story in this book, he would start to experience even more paranoia. Several other tales from his life reinforce this M.O.
I found the book informative and well written by Michael D'Antonio who is a writer, journalist, contributor to CNN and Pulitzer Prize awardee. By reading the appendix , it appears to be fact checked and fact driven. I am sure that a Fox affiliated writer will write a counter- history.
October 20, 2018
A left-wing/progressive hit piece about Vice-President, Mike Pence. This book confirms that liberals are not as tolerant as they claim to be.
Don't waste your time.
Don't waste your time.
November 2, 2018
I’ll keep this short, mainly because I’m sure you’re all as sick of reading my reviews of these political books as I am of writing them and reading them. (It’s become a bit of an obsession, one that I can’t explain other than the need to be completely informed and knowledgable about this stuff to bolster my arguments when Trump supporters ask me why I detest Trump and his ilk so much.)
Michael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner’s “The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence” is much better than Andrea Neal’s “Pence: The Path to Power” primarily because Neal’s biography was too soft and ended up reading, a times, like glowing campaign literature (which it was). “The Shadow President” digs much deeper into Pence’s dirty little closet, which, frankly, isn’t that dirty, and yet Pence still comes across as frightening as hell.
Here’s my reasoning for detesting Pence: He’s a two-faced Christian.
I’m personally not one to swoon or say “halleluia!” when someone tells me that they have been “saved” and have devoted their life to Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean anything to me. It doesn’t tell me that you are a good person. It just tells me that I know not to plan anything with you on a Sunday morning. It tells me that I should probably cool it with the dropping of f-bombs around you or your kids. It tells me that maybe I should avoid telling abortion jokes to you. That’s it.
I have known plenty of Christians in my life, some of whom are the biggest assholes in the world. Thusly, I have known plenty of atheists and non-Christians in my life, many of whom are some of the kindest, most morally upstanding people I have ever known.
So, yeah, whether or not you are Christian doesn’t mean shit to me.
Pence may claim to be a good, devout Christian who goes to church every Sunday, reads the Bible, prays for an hour each morning, and refuses to be alone in a room with a woman other than his wife, but that doesn’t mean that he’s a good person. I mean, he may be, but calling yourself “Christian” doesn’t give you an automatic in.
And the truth is, Pence’s actions, or in some cases lack thereof, belie otherwise.
Believe it or not, I consider myself a Christian. I may be a shitty one, but I try to live my life according to some of the main tenets of Christ’s teaching. My favorite one? “Love thy neighbor”. Now, in the name of full disclosure, I should say that I don’t really talk to my neighbors on either side. We’ve had some disputes in the past about lawn maintenance and building permits, some of which got heated, so I’m not exactly practicing what I’m preaching. But I dig the sentiment.
Pence claims to love thy neighbor, but he’s spent an entire political career trying to make life miserable for his neighbors, especially if they happen to be homosexual, non-white, immigrants, or women.
In a nutshell, I could care less if you think homosexuals are aberrations of nature or black people are inferior to white people or women who have had abortions should go to hell. Whatever. To each his or her own, I say.
UNTIL you start trying to push your stupid beliefs and moral views on the rest of us by creating laws that inhibit or strip away basic human rights from groups of people. Pence, while governor of Indiana, tried to propose some of the most egregiously hateful anti-gay and anti-abortion legislation in the country.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Pence has hitched a ride on Trump’s coattails and become the biggest sycophant in the Trump Administration. Pence keeps quiet whenever Trump does anything that is not very Christian (which is everything he does), and, in some cases, praises Trump for shit that anyone with a brain recognizes as horrible.
I just pray that when Mueller lowers the boom, he gets Pence as well as Trump. We don’t need an asshole like Pence running our country either.
Michael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner’s “The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence” is much better than Andrea Neal’s “Pence: The Path to Power” primarily because Neal’s biography was too soft and ended up reading, a times, like glowing campaign literature (which it was). “The Shadow President” digs much deeper into Pence’s dirty little closet, which, frankly, isn’t that dirty, and yet Pence still comes across as frightening as hell.
Here’s my reasoning for detesting Pence: He’s a two-faced Christian.
I’m personally not one to swoon or say “halleluia!” when someone tells me that they have been “saved” and have devoted their life to Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean anything to me. It doesn’t tell me that you are a good person. It just tells me that I know not to plan anything with you on a Sunday morning. It tells me that I should probably cool it with the dropping of f-bombs around you or your kids. It tells me that maybe I should avoid telling abortion jokes to you. That’s it.
I have known plenty of Christians in my life, some of whom are the biggest assholes in the world. Thusly, I have known plenty of atheists and non-Christians in my life, many of whom are some of the kindest, most morally upstanding people I have ever known.
So, yeah, whether or not you are Christian doesn’t mean shit to me.
Pence may claim to be a good, devout Christian who goes to church every Sunday, reads the Bible, prays for an hour each morning, and refuses to be alone in a room with a woman other than his wife, but that doesn’t mean that he’s a good person. I mean, he may be, but calling yourself “Christian” doesn’t give you an automatic in.
And the truth is, Pence’s actions, or in some cases lack thereof, belie otherwise.
Believe it or not, I consider myself a Christian. I may be a shitty one, but I try to live my life according to some of the main tenets of Christ’s teaching. My favorite one? “Love thy neighbor”. Now, in the name of full disclosure, I should say that I don’t really talk to my neighbors on either side. We’ve had some disputes in the past about lawn maintenance and building permits, some of which got heated, so I’m not exactly practicing what I’m preaching. But I dig the sentiment.
Pence claims to love thy neighbor, but he’s spent an entire political career trying to make life miserable for his neighbors, especially if they happen to be homosexual, non-white, immigrants, or women.
In a nutshell, I could care less if you think homosexuals are aberrations of nature or black people are inferior to white people or women who have had abortions should go to hell. Whatever. To each his or her own, I say.
UNTIL you start trying to push your stupid beliefs and moral views on the rest of us by creating laws that inhibit or strip away basic human rights from groups of people. Pence, while governor of Indiana, tried to propose some of the most egregiously hateful anti-gay and anti-abortion legislation in the country.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Pence has hitched a ride on Trump’s coattails and become the biggest sycophant in the Trump Administration. Pence keeps quiet whenever Trump does anything that is not very Christian (which is everything he does), and, in some cases, praises Trump for shit that anyone with a brain recognizes as horrible.
I just pray that when Mueller lowers the boom, he gets Pence as well as Trump. We don’t need an asshole like Pence running our country either.
September 7, 2018
Read for the 2018 Read Harder Challenge - Category = A book with a cover you hate. So that should tell you all you need to know about this book and this person. Despicable and 10 times more dangerous than his boss.
October 11, 2018
THE SHADOW PRESIDENT: THE TRUTH ABOUT MIKE PENCE BY Michael D'Antonio is a total hit job on Vice President Pence and on Trump when he could drag him into the text. The book is poorly written and incredibly biased but actually it worked for me in the sense that all the things the author hated about Pence, and that was most everything, were things that I like about Pence. So I came away from the book as a strong supporter of Pence. But it isn't really worth the time to read it.
July 29, 2019
This biography of Michael Pence focuses on his political career into the first two years of his vice-presidency. There are no earth-shattering revelations. I was surprised to learn that his wife had had a previous marriage and that his son married a Democrat, but not surprised to read the listing of his political campaign contributors and of the services he has performed for them. The biggest disappointment was in the shallow treatment given to his peculiar religious beliefs, beliefs which are not only superstitious but downright ignorant of the biblical texts he holds to be inerrant.
November 20, 2018
What an awful book. The authors bring no insight into the topic of Pence and his political rise. It is quite an accomplishment to write a 260 page book and have nothing original or thought provoking.
The book is filled with unsupported assertions--starting with the title of the book. In what sense is Pence a shadow President. The authors offer no evidence that Pence is the one setting policy and influencing decisions.
The authors apparently believe that if you just keep saying something over and over again, even though you have offered nothing to support your claim, that maybe people will believe it is true. The best example: the claim that it was Pence's appeal to evangelical Christians that put Trump over the top. The authors offer zero evidence to support that claim. Were it true it would represent one of the most unusual outcomes in the history of American elections were no one I know of has ever claimed that a Vice Presidential candidate affected the outcome of the election.
The authors also fail to do any basic analysis. They claim that libertarians are willing to overlook Trump's conservative Christian policies in exchange for Trump supporting tax cuts and deregulation of businesses. That must come as a surprise to scholars at the Cato Institute who have, from the beginning of Trump's presidency (and actually from the beginning of Trump's campaign) been critical of many of Trump's policies.
And the contempt the writers have for evangelical believers makes clear why such voters fail that the elite has no regard for them.
An absolutely awful book. As someone who detests Trump and regards Pence's support of Trump to be a moral failing, we need better books about Pence. Actually, following this book, it shouldn't be difficult to write a better book
The book is filled with unsupported assertions--starting with the title of the book. In what sense is Pence a shadow President. The authors offer no evidence that Pence is the one setting policy and influencing decisions.
The authors apparently believe that if you just keep saying something over and over again, even though you have offered nothing to support your claim, that maybe people will believe it is true. The best example: the claim that it was Pence's appeal to evangelical Christians that put Trump over the top. The authors offer zero evidence to support that claim. Were it true it would represent one of the most unusual outcomes in the history of American elections were no one I know of has ever claimed that a Vice Presidential candidate affected the outcome of the election.
The authors also fail to do any basic analysis. They claim that libertarians are willing to overlook Trump's conservative Christian policies in exchange for Trump supporting tax cuts and deregulation of businesses. That must come as a surprise to scholars at the Cato Institute who have, from the beginning of Trump's presidency (and actually from the beginning of Trump's campaign) been critical of many of Trump's policies.
And the contempt the writers have for evangelical believers makes clear why such voters fail that the elite has no regard for them.
An absolutely awful book. As someone who detests Trump and regards Pence's support of Trump to be a moral failing, we need better books about Pence. Actually, following this book, it shouldn't be difficult to write a better book
December 19, 2018
This book is a total hatchet job...not so much on Mike Pence as on President Trump. Pence is savaged because of his association to a man whom these two authors clearly detest. The authors also show scathing animosity toward anything even remotely connected to Biblical principles and they mock Pence's religious beliefs throughout the book and even start each chapter with a Bible verse which they seem to render as foolish within the text.The book is so self contradicting that it would lead you to believe that Pence is a master manipulator and he has been planning his own presidency for many years and only became Trump's V.P. in order to fulfill his master plan. Yet, according to the authors, Pence is so devoid of intelligence in every other area of his life and is simply a Trump toady. I would also like to recommend to the authors that they hire a good researcher for their next hit piece as DePauw University is in Greencastle, not Terre Haute, and Jeff Smulyan's last name is not Smolyen. These are just two of the items I noticed along with several grammatical errors. I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library as I can easily return it. Otherwise, it would be a good item for my recycle bin.
December 4, 2018
This was a tough but important read. Tough because the writing was not exactly compelling. Tough because it was telling me things I didn’t like hearing. Important because it was teaching me things I didn’t know along with things I should know. If you are wondering where the United States of America is headed and why it is headed that direction, this would be a good book to read. Includes chapter notes and index.
October 10, 2018
I never thought I would ever say that Donald Trump simply can't be impeached, but after reading this book, this is exactly how I feel. While Trump scares me, Pence terrifies me! He is truly evil incarnate - or as he says - " a Christian first, a Conservatist second and a Republican third." No where does he mention being an American or even a concern for what is good for the nation. What happened to country first? He tries to portray himself as a nice man filled with humility to disguise who he really is - a man filled with hate for anyone who does not share his views - people who are gay, pro-choice, for realistic gun regulations, for the environment, etc. As an elected official he has a dismal record, mainly due to the ferocity of his beliefs that leads to his inability to compromise and work with others. He feels it is "God's will" that he will become president, so if I were Donald Trump I would be sleeping with one eye open - at least politically!
September 5, 2018
An interesting read, but not vital. Pence is a hollow man, and it’s sadly humorous that he wants to be President so bad, since Trump will pull everyone down with him
January 3, 2019
I was looking for something with meat in it. All I got was hateful opinions. I didn't get very far before I could read no more. If I wanted opinions, I'd read Facebook and Twitter.
December 10, 2018
A very revealing, even penetrating political biography of this muted leader from the evangelical far-right. The title makes Pence sound like a new Karl Rove, but really he comes across as fawning lackey lapdog to Trump in order to advance such fundamentalist goals expected to be in line with his action as Governor of Indiana when he signed bills intended to restrict abortions and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. (With RFRA, he encountered fierce resistance from moderate members of his party, sports associates, the business community, and LGBT advocates. The backlash against the RFRA led Pence to amend the bill to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and other criteria.)
September 5, 2018
'The Shadow President' is a serviceable but underwhelming look at the rise of Vice President Mike Pence.
A primary problem comes in the authors' editorializing about Pence's self-serving and bigoted religious doctrine.
The authors seem to believe they're making Pence sound like an extremist supervillain but instead describe a man any ex-Evangelical will recognize as a typical religious hypocrite. Perhaps the authors just aren't aware of how extreme many conservative Christians' beliefs would sound to the mainstream, but their breathless description of Pence's theology reveals more about the them than the subject.
That said, the overview of the vice president's political life is engaging and well-researched. Readers without a working knowledge of Pence will learn plenty about both the politician and semi-human behind the facade. But those expecting an explosive accounting with new reveals will find 'Shadow President' a letdown.
A primary problem comes in the authors' editorializing about Pence's self-serving and bigoted religious doctrine.
The authors seem to believe they're making Pence sound like an extremist supervillain but instead describe a man any ex-Evangelical will recognize as a typical religious hypocrite. Perhaps the authors just aren't aware of how extreme many conservative Christians' beliefs would sound to the mainstream, but their breathless description of Pence's theology reveals more about the them than the subject.
That said, the overview of the vice president's political life is engaging and well-researched. Readers without a working knowledge of Pence will learn plenty about both the politician and semi-human behind the facade. But those expecting an explosive accounting with new reveals will find 'Shadow President' a letdown.
September 28, 2018
I can't say I really liked this book because I didn't like the content, nor did I expect to. I wanted to know more about the man a heartbeat away from the presidency, and I learned more about him, but nothing more than I expected. His eyes are a dead giveaway. A man full of ambition and empty of soul who believes he knows how the rest of us should live. He is well-suited to serve the man he serves. May his god help us all.
October 17, 2018
I know more about the VEEP now than I did before I read this book. I don’t like him any better than I did before. I did not care for the style in which the book was written. I love history and in the hands of a good writer, it comes alive for me. I found this book to be very pedantic and pedestrian.
September 17, 2018
This book was a good book about Mike Pence. It talked about the rise of him as congressman and the gov of Indiana . Then how he become vice president. I dont agree with anything about his political stances . He is anti LGBT and he is very right wing. This biography was excellent on him .
September 16, 2018
If you are pro Pence it is likely that you will hate this book. Comprehensive, enlightening and begs the question: How did we get here?”
October 4, 2018
If you think a Pence as President would be a better alternative, think again. This book will scare the poop out of you!
January 13, 2024
Read to fill in the “Read a memoir of someone you dislike” square on my Book Bingo card. So..ugh. It was a good recap of recent events since I only pay the minimal necessary to politics to keep my brain clean. I suppose this was good for its genre, though it’s not one I really ever read. I think reading this, for someone like me who was somewhat aware of the events and already knew how I felt about the subject, Pence, that reading this is somewhat masturbatory. Sure, good to get the overview of facts that have been forgotten, but it’s not going to change someone’s mind so what’s the point?
That’s not the authors’ fault. It just speaks to the Why someone might pick this up. I’ve never been a choir that needs to be preached to and I mistrust people, even of a like mind, who feel the need to indulge and revel in what they already find repugnant.
That’s not the authors’ fault. It just speaks to the Why someone might pick this up. I’ve never been a choir that needs to be preached to and I mistrust people, even of a like mind, who feel the need to indulge and revel in what they already find repugnant.
Read
February 18, 2025I HAD TO READ THIS FOR WORK - I usually don't review books I have to read for work or school, however I've seen a lot of reviews by conservatives calling this a "hit piece against the right". If stating facts sound like a hit piece, your politicians might just be terrible people. As a leftist who personally reads a lot of leftist books, this book is not leftist. It's just stating facts.
May 28, 2019
I only gave this book one star as it was required for the review. I tried to read this book but got half way through and could read no more. I got this book looking for an honest biography on the life of Mike Pence. I was very disappointed due to the fact that this book was extremely biased and was written to meet the far left political needs of the author. The style of writing was choppy and instead of a smoothly flowing story it went from the listing of one fact to the next. Could not tell what were true facts or not due to the author's political venting. Will definitely not be reading any further books by this author.
December 7, 2018
The book gives a good overview of Pence specifically on his religion and how it drives him. Pence claims to be a Catholic evangelical which is a made up term. I would recommend the book as it provides clues as to how Pence would be as president. A Christian dominionist. Unfortunately many christians are falling for this heresy.
October 28, 2018
The last lines of the epilogue read as follows: "The main difference was that Pence was truly committed to the authoritarian style of religion Trump had seemed to profess for the purpose of gaining election. With it, he intended to do far more to change the nation and the world than Trump could imagine"...........One thinks Dah, dah, Dah! Stay tuned for the next volume!
Speaking of the narrative arc of the book, I found these ominous closing lines a little bit incongruous with the tone and content of the book generally. I think the author is counting on the constitutionally-literate and nonreligious reader to infer his own sense of dread, reading between the lines of the historical narrative to infer the likely characteristics of a Pence presidency.
"Pence believes God is on his side. The most troubling aspect of this belief [says Philip Sharp, two-time Pence election opponent and Indiana Congressman] was that Pence can tolerate any amount of darkness to get his way".
Pence is rightly considered a "shadow president". We infer the strong probability that he believes that God's plan includes a Pence presidency by his relentless efforts to climb to that post. During his brief term as Indiana governor, he had blazers custom-embroidered with the state seal, which just happens to be a presidential "look". He has spoken about the best swearing-in location for best lighting presentation. Most importantly, he has built a vast donor network consisting of Christian Right groups and wealthy individuals. Within the Trump administration he has established supporters at the cabinet and lower levels, one reason being that Trump had no such network. At any rate, there is no question that with a putative Trump exit, Pence would be perfectly positioned and able to assume the Presidency, and to do so with a clear sense of purpose.
What purpose? Pence is primarily interested in the perceived "culture war", by which the wicked hordes conduct such perfidies as reproductive choice and the war against Christmas. A constant theme of his remarks to numberless Christian activist groups has been the need to overturn Roe vs Wade. Another major theme is the idea that the extension of non-discrimination protections to homosexual and "trans" Americans amounts to infringement of his and his cohort's religious freedoms. Hence, bills such as the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" to enable discrimination, which rightly establish Pence as a kind of emblem of intolerance.
Hopefully the second volume of the series won't be written.
Vote!
Speaking of the narrative arc of the book, I found these ominous closing lines a little bit incongruous with the tone and content of the book generally. I think the author is counting on the constitutionally-literate and nonreligious reader to infer his own sense of dread, reading between the lines of the historical narrative to infer the likely characteristics of a Pence presidency.
"Pence believes God is on his side. The most troubling aspect of this belief [says Philip Sharp, two-time Pence election opponent and Indiana Congressman] was that Pence can tolerate any amount of darkness to get his way".
Pence is rightly considered a "shadow president". We infer the strong probability that he believes that God's plan includes a Pence presidency by his relentless efforts to climb to that post. During his brief term as Indiana governor, he had blazers custom-embroidered with the state seal, which just happens to be a presidential "look". He has spoken about the best swearing-in location for best lighting presentation. Most importantly, he has built a vast donor network consisting of Christian Right groups and wealthy individuals. Within the Trump administration he has established supporters at the cabinet and lower levels, one reason being that Trump had no such network. At any rate, there is no question that with a putative Trump exit, Pence would be perfectly positioned and able to assume the Presidency, and to do so with a clear sense of purpose.
What purpose? Pence is primarily interested in the perceived "culture war", by which the wicked hordes conduct such perfidies as reproductive choice and the war against Christmas. A constant theme of his remarks to numberless Christian activist groups has been the need to overturn Roe vs Wade. Another major theme is the idea that the extension of non-discrimination protections to homosexual and "trans" Americans amounts to infringement of his and his cohort's religious freedoms. Hence, bills such as the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" to enable discrimination, which rightly establish Pence as a kind of emblem of intolerance.
Hopefully the second volume of the series won't be written.
Vote!
October 21, 2018
It’s very scary to realize that Mike Pence is the one in the drivers seat of the White House. After reading this book, everything that has been unreasonably enacted makes me believe that yes Mike Pence is in control and is making the decisions.
Also, I found it scary that there are Bible studies going on with those that are within this administration. The founding fathers were Deists and Mike Pence does not understand the fact that the Constitution was written to protect citizens from the kind of government that is occurring under the Trump/Pence administration. He also believes that he was chosen by God for greatness. However, under his humble friendly demeanor is an evil soul. He uses this humble demeanor to hide his true intentions through Trump (anti-abortion, anti-LBGTQ, anti-immigration, religions indoctrination of government, etc).
I remember when Mike Pence was a Democrat. He was creepy even when he was a Democrat. I’ve always wondered how we are so different, even though we are from the same town and graduated from the same high school. But, Mike creeped me out when he was a Democrat. He was in high school, while I was home alone, and he was doing the census for the Democratic Party. At the time, I was in elementary school, my Mom was a teacher and must’ve been teaching summer school. Mom told me that Mr. H was coming by and to not answer the door unless it was him. Turned out to be a dark haired curly headed guy, I answered the door and quickly closed it. It was not Mr. H and I was in trouble! I answered the door to a stranger. A stranger who apologized... but then started singing and kept asking me to open the door. Weird and scary. I started crying. But, then Mr. H drove up the driveway, my Mom drove up the driveway, and I answered the door. Mr. H laughed and introduced me to, a then, embarrassed, Mike Pence. He was creepy and I will always remember him.
Also, I found it scary that there are Bible studies going on with those that are within this administration. The founding fathers were Deists and Mike Pence does not understand the fact that the Constitution was written to protect citizens from the kind of government that is occurring under the Trump/Pence administration. He also believes that he was chosen by God for greatness. However, under his humble friendly demeanor is an evil soul. He uses this humble demeanor to hide his true intentions through Trump (anti-abortion, anti-LBGTQ, anti-immigration, religions indoctrination of government, etc).
I remember when Mike Pence was a Democrat. He was creepy even when he was a Democrat. I’ve always wondered how we are so different, even though we are from the same town and graduated from the same high school. But, Mike creeped me out when he was a Democrat. He was in high school, while I was home alone, and he was doing the census for the Democratic Party. At the time, I was in elementary school, my Mom was a teacher and must’ve been teaching summer school. Mom told me that Mr. H was coming by and to not answer the door unless it was him. Turned out to be a dark haired curly headed guy, I answered the door and quickly closed it. It was not Mr. H and I was in trouble! I answered the door to a stranger. A stranger who apologized... but then started singing and kept asking me to open the door. Weird and scary. I started crying. But, then Mr. H drove up the driveway, my Mom drove up the driveway, and I answered the door. Mr. H laughed and introduced me to, a then, embarrassed, Mike Pence. He was creepy and I will always remember him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2020
A meh book.
Pence is only little known to the people who think civic participation is voting every 4 years and maybe in midterms. Active Rethugs and Doinks, as well as active non-duopolists, already know much of what's in this book.
Plus, when you start off by negatively contrasting Pence to his Veepness predecessor Joe Biden, and do that by avoiding mentioning Biden throwing Anita Hill under the bus, Biden's bankruptcy bill, Biden fighting against school busing, and on things like Zionism and the Iraq war, being on the same side as Pence, this is a book written within the duopoly framework.
I am giving this a "gentleman's third star," kind of like a gentleman's C at an Ivy. I'll be even more critical if I come across another book by either author.
Sixteen months later, the book seems even more duopoly-meh with Biden's nomination.
Pence is only little known to the people who think civic participation is voting every 4 years and maybe in midterms. Active Rethugs and Doinks, as well as active non-duopolists, already know much of what's in this book.
Plus, when you start off by negatively contrasting Pence to his Veepness predecessor Joe Biden, and do that by avoiding mentioning Biden throwing Anita Hill under the bus, Biden's bankruptcy bill, Biden fighting against school busing, and on things like Zionism and the Iraq war, being on the same side as Pence, this is a book written within the duopoly framework.
I am giving this a "gentleman's third star," kind of like a gentleman's C at an Ivy. I'll be even more critical if I come across another book by either author.
Sixteen months later, the book seems even more duopoly-meh with Biden's nomination.
September 21, 2018
This is a biography of sorts of Mike Pence, written by a man who has had close access to the subject in recent months and years. Pence is cast as a decent man with an overwhelming desire to be president, and driven by religious zealotry. It is Pence who has stacked the deck with evangelicals in the administration and who drives Trump to his continued support of his (so far) successful evangelical base. Pence has remained in the shadows and away from the terrible character of Donald Trump, the epitome of a non-Christian, while praising him at every opportunity. The reader is left with a sense of the author's anxiety should Pence become President either by default (impeachment) or election.
November 3, 2018
A book co-authored by Michael D'Antonio who shared a Pulitzer Prize for writing in 1984. D'Antonio is a commentator for CNN. The book is about Mike Pence, former Indiana Governor and current Vice President of the USA. Vice President Pence is well know for stating his priorities as his religion, his family and his politics. The later frequently defined as Right Wing. If you support VP Pence you will disagree with the book; if you disagree with VP President you will agree with the heavily indexed book.
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October 14, 2018This is a great story about Pence, who boot-licks trump constantly, and who spouts piety, and talks about being a born-again Christian, while feeding a drive for power. It's also a great overview of teh right wing network of funders and organizations Pence has worked with over the years, that have aided his rise to power; it also shows the delusions the right wing movement has about being this oppressed minority group that's being persecuted.
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