Keeping the Republic

Saving America by Trusting Americans

By: Mitch Daniels

Narrated by: Mitch Daniels

Upon leaving the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what sort of government the delegates had created. His reply to the crowd: "A republic, if you can keep it." Now America's most respected governor explains just how close we've come to losing the republic, and how we can restore it to greatness. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has been called "the most presidential man in America." He has brought more change to his state in a few years than most see in decades. During his tenure, Daniels turned a $700 million deficit into a billion dollar surplus, balanced Indiana's budget even during the recession, converted its once unattractive business climate into one of the strongest for private sector job growth.

The Hoosier state is now a model of good and efficient governance. Its public sector payroll is now the smallest per capita in the nation. And yet services have improved across the board. Even its Bureau of Motor Vehicles -- the ultimate symbol of dysfunctional bureaucracy - has been rated the best in the country. Daniels has done this by focusing on government's core responsibilities, cutting taxes, empowering citizens, and performing what he calls an "old tribal ritual" - spending less money than his state takes in, while distinguishing between skepticism towards big government and hostility towards all government. Unfortunately few politicians have the discipline or courage to follow his lead. And worse, many assume that Americans are too intimidated, gullible or dim-witted to make wise decisions about their health care, mortgages, the education of their kids, and other important issues. The result has been a steady decline in freedom, as elite government experts -- "our benevolent betters", in Daniels' phrase -- try to regulate every aspect of our lives. Daniels bluntly calls our exploding national debt "a survival-level threat to the America we have known.

©2011 Mitch Daniels (P)2011 Penguin

Don't let anyone disuade you.

If you read this book you will realize not only why Indiana is on more solid fiscal footing than most other states, but also why Hoosiers love their Governor.

Good listen

I was very disappointed that Mitch Daniels decided not to run for President this year, so I was anxious to listen to his book. Overall, he presents his case for confronting the debt very well, however, when he claims at the beginning how threated he feels by the problem, it sounded a bit hollow since he took himself out of the running to actually work on solving the issue.

If you are looking for some tried solutions on how to work on the debt problem, this is a good book to start with. He uses examples from his term as governor to explain his approach to these very situations at a state level, and how they made things work.

The only gripe I had about his book was his constant reference to the US as a democracy. Early on he was very clear on the distinction between democracies and republics and how republics are a release of some rights to allow ruling bodies. He then proceeds to slam the elite ruling bodies as undemocratic. Duh.

Still, overall it was a very good book. We are facing some nasty years ahead without facing some of these issues straight on.

A view from the left

If you could sum up Keeping the Republic in three words, what would they be?

A Reasonable POV.

What about Mitch Daniels’s performance did you like?

Speaks from the heart.

Any additional comments?

I found myself agreeing with most of the proposed policies. I know ideology is often a guide to policy, and while mine is different than Mr. Daniel's, we both share the same POV when it comes to hard work, the fragility and importance of democracy, and a responsibile fiscial policy.

Must read!!

This should be required reading for schools across the nation. Tremendous educated view on our future and what is truly important

We need more leadership like this in America

I had not heard of Mitch until an interview on the Dave Ramsey show regarding his work at Purdue regarding tuition and university budgets. I really enjoyed his book.

I hope Mitch runs for president in 2024. We need leadership that can think outside the box. People benefit when they come together rather than being so polarized politically.

Great read! Highly recommended!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is a no nonsense look at the challenges we are facing in America. We need more of this type of common sense realism.

Excellent Analysis

Would you listen to Keeping the Republic again? Why?

Yes, good reminders of what can and should be done.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Keeping the Republic?

Stories of successful privatization of government services.

Have you listened to any of Mitch Daniels’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first book of his I have read.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Run Mitch Run

Great governor, excellent author!

This is an excellent recitation of the governor's view and he backs it up with facts. He is a common sense individual and it comes through in his book. Fortunately, he ends the book on a positive note. Caution: if your views lean to the left this book could make you think about some uncomfortable facts about your favorite politicians. Otherwise, it's a great listen that will help you see a way out of our current economic abyss.

Should be running for president

As a Hoosier I can confirm and affirm what he discussed. Less government and more personal responsibility will allow us to be a freer and more prosperous nation.

Partisan Hack

If you're looking for right wing spin, you'll love this book. If you were expecting a glimpse into the mind of a moderate fiscal conservative, you'll be very disappointed. He makes some really good points, like how poorly designed and implemented Social Security is. However, in between reasonable critiques of our system, you have to slog through miles of partisan drivel.

He made some real doozies.

1. He claims that Obama gave GM stock to the autoworkers union in a political quid pro quo. That's a lie on par with birtherism. The stock was given to a third party administrator to fund pensioner healthcare expenses. He parrots the Romney line that a better deal could have been struck in bankruptcy, which is certainly not a forgone conclusion.

2. He claims SAT scores are plummeting. That's an easily verifiable claim, which happens to be another lie.

That's as far as I got. I'm interested in compassionate fiscal conservatism with an individualist point of view. What I got was a partisan screed. I'm very disappointed. I rarely return books, but this one is going back.