Taft 2012

Jan 19, 2012 Jacob rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-part-1, fiction-and-literature, theodore-roosevelt-and-friends

January 2012

The bathtub story. The goddamn bathtub story. William Howard Taft will never live that down. He vanished on the bitter day Woodrow Wilson took office and reappeared, enormous and dirt-caked, on the White House lawn nearly a hundred years later...and people are still talking about the time he got stuck in a bathtub.

What's a newly resurrected ex-President to do? Taft never wanted much in life--heck, he never even wanted to be President--but in this brave new world of bitter politics a...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Lee Razer rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love the idea of this book as I understood it before reading it, but don't much care for the execution. If only I had read the acknowledgements page first, in which the author thanks his editor for giving him this idea, and mentions that this first time novelist is the previous author of The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook. Oh. That would have seriously adjusted my expectations of what kind of book this was; less serious yet playful examination of American politics by an inspired novelist, and m...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Michelle Cristiani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I've tried several times to explain this book to others, and I can see a slow question mark forming over their heads. The premise is that Taft - a relatively unpopular president - reappears in modern times, and everyone loves both him and his policies. It's fantasy, satire, humor, social commentary...it spans the gamut. It's excellent. It's far superior than any description I've been able to provide.

For some reason, though I am not a history buff, I've always been drawn to Taft's story. I remem...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Kim Herrington rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, adult-for-ya, fantasy

Interesting premise for a political satire. President William Howard Taft is suddenly alive 100 years after he disappeared on the day that his successor Woodrow Wilson took the oath of office. In the aftermath of his reappearance, a grassroots political group The Tafties forms and begins a campaign to re-elect him as Obama's successor. Taft and his granddaughter, a congresswoman, hit the campaign trail, but things don't work out like he or the Tafties hope.

This book definitely has it's moments...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

The US Presidential election is ramping up (not that US elections ever seem to ramp down), and while the Donkeys and Elephants battle it out, author Jason Heller provides an alternative candidate in his newest novel: William Howard Taft, he of the portly proportions and handlebar mustache, the former US President of 1909-1912. According to history, Taft was a fair and principled President who felt honour-bound to complete projects often to the detriment of his own career – which turned out to be...more The US Presidential election is ramping up (not that US elections ever seem to ramp down), and while the Donkeys and Elephants battle it out, author Jason Heller provides an alternative candidate in his newest novel: William Howard Taft, he of the portly proportions and handlebar mustache, the former US President of 1909-1912. According to history, Taft was a fair and principled President who felt honour-bound to complete projects often to the detriment of his own career – which turned out to be near political suicide. Although he lost his bid for a second term in a humiliating defeat, he did go on to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a post he claimed felt more suitable. In his novel, however, Mr. Heller takes some liberties with Taft’s biography. What if, after the humiliating defeat of 1912, Taft had simply disappeared without a trace? Only to ‘awaken’ and reappear, on the White House lawn, 100 years later, just as another election is starting up? Heller does not bother digging into hotbed political issues in this satire, focusing on how a man-out-of-time comes to terms with both his past and newly-found present, a present which includes a great-granddaughter of mixed race, Franken-turkey, and Tweeting. He intersperses Taft’s inner story with media tidbits (including tweets) that indicate how the country is reacting to the election and to the reappearance of a politician who historically had so much integrity. Heller imagines that this integrity would appeal to grass-root folks (like the Tea Party), but that the Taft of 2012 would be as naïve of 21st century political machinations as he was of those in 1908 – as in fact the “Taft Party” turns out to be as well. The result is a quickly-read, light satire of American politics – not enough to arouse the wrath of any political party, but just enough to allow, say, America’s neighbours to have a little chortle – and perhaps wistfully wish for such a politician in their own country. Find Taft 2012: A Novel under the tag “shelf life reviewed” at http://spl.bibliocommons.com ~Robyn Godfrey, Collections Librarian(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Cassie-la rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

REVIEW ALSO ON: http://bibliomantics.com/2012/02/17/t......

The novel opens in the year 2011, when William Howard Taft appears in the White House fountain, 98 years after disappearing off the face of the earth. So much alternate timeline love. He has no knowledge of how this happened, but one thing is for sure: the world needs him. Upon first witnessing his arrival, the Secret Service are convinced he is either an intruder, a large animal, or someone who “looked like some sort of deranged preside...more REVIEW ALSO ON: http://bibliomantics.com/2012/02/17/t......

The novel opens in the year 2011, when William Howard Taft appears in the White House fountain, 98 years after disappearing off the face of the earth. So much alternate timeline love. He has no knowledge of how this happened, but one thing is for sure: the world needs him. Upon first witnessing his arrival, the Secret Service are convinced he is either an intruder, a large animal, or someone who “looked like some sort of deranged presidential history buff dressed up as William Howard Taft.” Still others believed his appearance to be the “oddest terrorist attack in history”. Despite confusion if he was a sea creature, one thing was for sure: Taft was back.

It is hard to imagine that our government would make the world aware of the actual existence of time travel, even more so if you’re a conspiracy buff, but Heller explains this by saying the event is televised. Televised appearance of historical figure = inability to commit conspiracy. Still, you think the FBI would explain this as swamp gas or the government testing some sort of anti-terrorist device, anything but explaining to the world that the 27th president is alive and well in the 21st century. That’s the point of science fiction though, suspending your disbelief. Be prepared to suspend it people!

While Taft is most certainly not the most well known president, Heller tackles him anyway. Not literally of course. Besides being famously known as the president who had to have a special bathtub made for him because he got stuck in the standard one on his inauguration day (an anecdote most children learn in elementary/middle school), Heller also informs us Taft was the first president to throw out a starting pitch at a baseball game and the last one to have a mustache. Despite this and possibly for these reasons, he wasn’t regarded as the most successful president, serving only one term and being derailed when president Roosevelt created his own offshoot of the Republican party (The Bull Moose Party). A lot of groundwork is laid to explain that while not right for the time, Taft would be more than successful in another time. Specifically, ours. He’s a living anachronism, ridiculous mustache and all.

The world in Taft 2012 is slightly altered from our current reality. The former president has a great granddaughter named Rachel Taft, a Congresswoman (fictional) who runs in the independent party (an independent would never be voted into Congress) who ends up being Taft’s Vice Presidential candidate in the Taft Party. Strangest of all is the existence of a movie called President Kane, an obvious riff on Citizen Kane. Filmmaker Orson Welles wanted to make a film about newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, but due to a lack of backing (no one wanted to go against Hearst) made one based on Taft and his disappearance instead. It went on to be deemed the worst film ever made, and ruined Orson Welles’ career. Which is pretty bad assuming Plan 9 From Outer Space currently exists.

Food is also in a different place in this alternate timeline. Nothing seems to be regulated, and food is made from more and more synthetic materials, headed by a maniacal man named Fulsom and his corporation which makes disturbing products such as the digestive nightmare Turk-ease. On a road trip, Taft takes a foray into molecular gastronomy, which isn’t what we know it to be from “Top Chef”. Instead, molecular gastronomy is processing processed foods in even more processed ways, i.e. making processed Turk-ease into even more processed hamburger buns. Gag me with a spoon.

That’s not to say this world isn’t anything like the one we know today. The main similarity between our world and this alternate one (besides obvious things like technology and societal changes) is that Obama seems to still be our current leader. While the president is unnamed, we know he’s a tall, slim African American and that his wife is currently running an obesity campaign, so it’s safe to say it is Obama without actually naming him. The same can be said for a lot or Republican candidates trying to fight for the presidency. Fans of politics will have fun with all the subtle jabbing and name calling at our current presidential hopefuls.

Rather than just have straight on prose, Heller inter-splices his novel with a range of secondary documents, from the amusing to the downright crazy. We are shown letters, classified documents, polls, book excerpts, television transcripts, etsy listings, etc, etc. The only things funnier than these documents are Taft’s adjustment to the new world he finds himself in. He spends time figuring out how they stuff the cream inside Twinkies, how Mr. Google came to be so intelligent, the amazing technology that revolves around Wii Golf, and an inability to understand the 140 character rule on Twitter.

Interestingly enough, a lot of viral marketing was done through social media sites, set up by Quirk Books (www.taft2012.com and @taft2012 for example), bringing some of the fictional aspects of the book to life.(less)

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Jun 02, 2012 Peter Boysen rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you follow my reviews, you know that I am setting mysteries down for a while. I'm not liking any of them, which might not be fair to the people who read this, because they might be good.

So my new rule has been that a book must contain a very cool concept, or at least have been well received by an author who is very impressive to me. Yes, very subjective, but that's why anyone with a keyboard and an imagination can set up one of these blog things.

The concept behind "Taft 2012" mirrors a concep...more If you follow my reviews, you know that I am setting mysteries down for a while. I'm not liking any of them, which might not be fair to the people who read this, because they might be good.

So my new rule has been that a book must contain a very cool concept, or at least have been well received by an author who is very impressive to me. Yes, very subjective, but that's why anyone with a keyboard and an imagination can set up one of these blog things.

The concept behind "Taft 2012" mirrors a concept that I have had in mind for a book of my own for a long time. Luckily, the concept isn't so close that mine will look like plagiarism, if it ever finds its way to a publisher, but here it is: William Howard Taft, instead of slinking away after his four years in the White House to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court a few years later (by the way, he was the only President to do that), simply disappears on the morning of President Wilson's inauguration in March of 2013. He appears again, in the same place where he was napping on the White House grounds in 2011, having napped in some sort of wormhole for 98 years.

He is clearly not an impostor: he knows the Presidential ID code that all Chief Executives, at least in this fictive world, have had since Andrew Johnson was in the White House, and his DNA matches samples that were preserved in the detritus of information that was taken from him way back in the days of the Titanic.

Of course, he clearly represents a conundrum to the world of 2012. Yes, he gets a pension just like all of the other ex-Presidents (thankfully, not retroactive to 1913). He gets Secret Service protection.

Meanwhile, all around him is swirling the Presidential campaign of 2012. President Obama, although unnamed specifically, hovers in the background, running against an equally (in the view of the book) unimpressive unnamed Republican opponent. Taft, still finding his way around this new world, has a great-granddaughter serving in the Congress -- from his own home district in Cincinnati. He becomes an object of curiosity and (somewhat) odd attention when he happens out into his environs in D.C.

Then, an interesting thing happens. A talk show host, and a host of bloggers, decide that this mild Republican Progressive is just what the American public needs, in the giant vacuum between the Secular Moral Majority, which is what the Republican Party has become (at least in this writer's opinion) and the Former Liberals Occupying the Middle by Default. Neither party has great ideas; neither party has workable solutions to the nation's problems; neither nominee has the courage to voice an opinion stronger than a weather report.

And so why not Taft? In 1912, he was belittled by the great TR for having let down his vision of the Chief Executive as holder of the "Big Stick." In 2012, though, his notions that people should think freely, act decently, and take care of one another when needed strike a chord with the American public.

Until we find out who is bankrolling this grassroots movement. But that would spoil things. I will say that processed foods are also a source of the author's (and Taft's) venom in this story.

And so Mr. Heller's book is whimsical, somewhat silly at times, but at other times it is spot on. The characters are a bit flat, although Taft's New Year's Eve romp with a punk rocker made me laugh out loud. After all, this was a man that had to be pried out of the White House bathtub, because he was just that large. In the era BEFORE high fructose corn syrup and the Happy Meal.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the most "important" political issue of our time consisting of gay marriage, while Syrian children die by the truckload under the thumb of Assad. I'm tired of our leadership waiting for their underlings to tiptoe out to important positions to see if they will be victims of public outcry before the leadership itself will take those positions. I'm tired of leaders settling for easy answers, or even no answers at all, because they don't think we're paying attention.

So in between reading these outstanding reviews, and checking Facebook for status updates, do something to change the world. One outrage at a time.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had never even heard of this book until today. I stopped at the library this afternoon to return Bossypants and Swimming Upstream, Slowly. I had just gone for a run not twenty minutes prior, and my chubby self still needed a bit of time to recuperate, so I wandered around the library's new books section. Once I saw the cover, I had to take a peek.

Taft 2012is a "science fiction/alternate reality meets saucy political commentary" novel. Former President William H. Taft decided to lie down and ta...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Beth Jusino rated it 3 of 5 stars

William Howard Taft -- a civil, courteous, classic politician who believes in compromise and despises special interests -- pops up in 2012, just as some of the American people are getting REALLY fed up with the partisan, selfish, useless politicians and powerful lobbies of the 21st century. The premise, if a little silly, holds promise. The novel, unfortunately, fails to live up. This was a book that was rushed to press in order to take advantage of the election cycle, and it's obvious. The auth...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Georgette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome

This book was great. I like alternative history- because, well, it's alternative history. And I'm a nerd and like history. Anyway...
William Howard Taft- disappears while heading out to the White House lawn to hear Woodrow Wilson's acceptance speech....in 1912.. and never returns. All of a sudden, flash forward to 2012...and there's Taft! Back from wherever he was(it's never completely established, but that's part of the fun). To a completely new and unhinged(in his eyes, compared to 100 years ag...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Joel Neff rated it 3 of 5 stars

Taft 2012 is part history lesson, part political commentary, part indictment of the food industry, and part quirky fantasy. Taken individually, each part would be interesting enough, but as a whole, they blend into an odd little tale about the people we choose to lead us.

The story centers around William Howard Taft, his unexplained disappearance in 1913 and his sudden reappearance in 2011. Far from being just an unwilling time traveler, Taft is a reminder to the populous of what the nation used...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Mike Ryder rated it 4 of 5 stars

On first impression you might be forgiven for thinking Taft 2012 is a cheap “tie-in” – a work destined for the bargain basement, and cunningly crafted to make a fast buck from the buzz surrounding the American presidential election. I will certainly hold my hands up right now and admit this was the first thought that crossed my mind when I read the blurb:

He’s back. And he’s the biggest thing in politics.

He is the perfect presidential candidate. Conservatives love his hard-hitting Republican resu

...more On first impression you might be forgiven for thinking Taft 2012 is a cheap “tie-in” – a work destined for the bargain basement, and cunningly crafted to make a fast buck from the buzz surrounding the American presidential election. I will certainly hold my hands up right now and admit this was the first thought that crossed my mind when I read the blurb:

He’s back. And he’s the biggest thing in politics.

He is the perfect presidential candidate. Conservatives love his hard-hitting Republican resume. Liberals love his peaceful, progressive practicality. The media can’t get enough of his larger-than-life personality. And all the American people love that he’s an honest, hard-working man who tells it like it is.

There’s just one problem. He is William Howard Taft… and he was already president a hundred years ago. So what on earth is he doing alive and well and considering a running mate in 2012?

And well you might wonder, what is William Howard Taft doing running for president in 2012, and indeed, what is Jason Heller doing writing a book such as this?

Regular followers of my reviews will recognise Jason Heller as author of The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook, a novelty fan-book which I was rather impressed by, even though I admit, the Pirates franchise is not to my taste. With Taft 2012, Heller makes his professional debut as novelist, and I have to say, even though I had my doubts, he has done a really good job.

While Taft 2012 is most obviously a satire – a book designed to poke fun at democracy, the American presidential elections, and most obviously, ourselves as people, on satire alone, I don’t think this book would stand up. What makes Taft 2012 so impressive in my mind at least, is its human story. This isn’t a book about America, or even about William Taft per se – Taft 2012, is, at its heart, a book about people – a book about the human experience.

Taft himself is a quite brilliantly drawn character. Naturally, he’s a “larger than life” figure – on account of his girth more than anything else – but there’s something about him that really makes him stand out far beyond what on first glance appears to be a fat man with a big moustache.

There’s something very real, and very moving about the way his whole experience is portrayed. Some of the most powerful examples of Taft’s humanity are to be found when Taft is in isolation – when he has a monologue with a statue of himself, or when he finally brings himself to confront the words read at his eulogy all those many years before. History, we learn, isn’t always as clear-cut as it might seem. There are some powerful messages to be found here, hidden within the human tale of Taft’s re-examination of himself, and it’s in these messages that we find a book of real power – a book of heart that very few might expect.

I worry that because Taft 2012 is very clearly a book of its time – a book about the 2012 presidential election, a book with a year in its title – that it might well fall victim to its own marketing. As I alluded to in my opening, Taft 2012 is so much more than a book about the American presidential election; so much more than a book about 2012, or even about Taft himself. It’s a book about us as people, and who we are. For this reason, I highly recommend it to anyone looking to read something a bit different this year, something with a little more soul. There is certainly a lot more to this book than meets the eye.

For an extended version of this review, please visit my website.(less)

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Jan 25, 2012 Sapphyria rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm going to start right off and admit that I don't really get involved in politics. I'm currently enrolled in an Introduction to U.S. government class in college but that doesn't make me political in any sense of the word. However, the information provided by the Publisher of Taft 2012 piqued my interest in this novel.

William H. Taft.....The 27th president of the United States with a tenure from 1909 - 1913. He suddenly disappears on the day he is supposed to hand over the reigns to Woodrow Wil...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Jacqie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was ready to like this one- maybe even for the scifi book club? But no. The writing was clunky. Taft acclimated to 2012 after his hundred year (unexplained) nap far too well. His language wasn't quite different enough. And while I'm willing to believe that Taft has had his character assassins, this character was too perfect. He seemed to be just the mouthpiece for the author's "moderate" beliefs. I think the scene where Taft slept with a biker chick was supposed to be funny, but I found it utt...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars

A cute alternate history tale that takes the reader along a few divergent paths; what-if Taft returned, the role of political parties in 1912 versus 2012, and the evils of processed foods and how their support is ruining America (read: the World). Truly some interesting soapbox fodder, but also a cute aspect to really make you think, while not bringing on a headache.

Heller posits what might happen if William Howard Taft were to simply reappear after he failed to show up for Woodrow Wilson's inau...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Greg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: politics, fiction

From http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2012/...

Jason Heller's Taft 2012 requires a significant suspension of disbelief, namely that William Howard Taft disappeared on his way to Woodrow Wilson's inauguration in 1913, hibernated, and then reappeared in late 2011. No one in the novel worries too much about the science of it all. And we're not supposed to either, because that's not the point.

The point is to gain some lighthearted perspective on partisan politics and consumption in the United States....more

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Feb 13, 2012 Paul Mcfarland rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book, the first by Jason Heller, is an odd combination of Science Fiction and Alternative History. As Science Fiction it requires us to believe an impossible thing; that William Howard Taft vanished after his one term as president and reappeared on the White House lawn in 2011. In point of fact, President Taft lived out a full and useful life and died on March 8, 1930. The Alternative History of the novel is the reaction of President Taft to finding himself alive in the twenty-first century...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: outdo-yourself-challenge

This book was not what I expected, but that is not meant in a bad way as you can see by the 4 star rating.

The book is divided into 2 sections, 2011 and 2012. 2011 was all about Taft getting to know America again and 2012 was about his campaign.

This is Hellers first book and he did an excellent job writing it. I really enjoyed the information I learned in here about Taft (although there was some fiction) and I loved how the chapters were broken up with news show excerpts, twitter 'tweets' and oth...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Donald rated it 3 of 5 stars

What would happen if President William Howard Taft—the 27th president of the United States—suddenly reappeared in modern day America? How would America react, and how would it affect the presidential race of 2012? Author Jason Heller tries to answer these questions in the comic novel Taft 2012.

This novel was fun while it lasted—unfortunately, it didn't last long. Clocking in at only 249 pages, it didn't explore enough of the possibilities that were possible, and in fact, the ending was so abrupt...more What would happen if President William Howard Taft—the 27th president of the United States—suddenly reappeared in modern day America? How would America react, and how would it affect the presidential race of 2012? Author Jason Heller tries to answer these questions in the comic novel Taft 2012.

This novel was fun while it lasted—unfortunately, it didn't last long. Clocking in at only 249 pages, it didn't explore enough of the possibilities that were possible, and in fact, the ending was so abrupt, I wondered if this was actually the final draft of the book. It's almost as if another round of revisions was needed; maybe the author was trying to meet a deadline and ran out of time. For example, Heller put several elements into the story that were never explored or even mentioned again. "Chekhov's gun" is a literary technique that basically means if you put something in a story, it should be there for a reason, and should be used later on. For instance, if a gun appears in the beginning of a story, a character should use it later on. Well, Heller has Taft sleep with a woman, a one-night stand, during his tour of America. I expected this to come up again as an issue during his campaign. It didn't. Then there was a scene where Taft was in a room with someone smoking pot. I thought, maybe he'd fail a drug test later on. Never mentioned again. Also a possible romantic relationship with his biographer, Susan, was continually hinted at, but never developed. Why was it even in the book? Basically, I guess what I'm saying is, there wasn't enough conflict in the book: Taft somehow returned from the dead, people wanted him to run for president, stuff happened, then the abrupt ending.

What I did enjoy was the writing, the humor, the likableness of the Taft character. Heller did a good job writing in Taft's voice, and describing Taft's early befuddlement with the advances in society, and also with his willingness to learn everything that had transpired in the last 100 years, not to mention the new social media. Taft's first attempts at Tweeting were hilarious. I also really enjoyed Heller's short in-between-chapters bursts of internet chatter, TV discussions, Taft's Secret Service agent's field reports, and Taft's great-granddaughter's (Congresswoman Rachel Taft) "to-do" notes to herself. Good stuff. Since the rest of the book was told from Taft's POV, this was a good technique that showed what everyone else was thinking.

To sum up, I liked this novel, but I wanted to love it. But it just left me wanting more.(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Jim Loter rated it 2 of 5 stars

A high-concept political satire that imagines a 2012 presidential race after William Howard Taft inexplicably emerges from a 100-year hibernation. Taft's combination of progressive conservatism appeals to a politically polarized electorate and inspires the grass-roots "Taft Party" - an obvious nod to the Tea Party. The scenes of Taft's re-entry into the modern world are quickly dispatched with very little of the "OMG airplanes television cellphones Internet!" hoopla, which is welcomed. But the l...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Wiseowl33 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thoughtbooks

Read this for book club. Actually, it was pretty good, though I got into a fight with my mother about whether or not President Taft was the spawn of Satan (her phrase, not mine).

Me: Well, whether he was actually good or bad isn't the point. It could be a lot of presidents. Heller's just using Taft to illustrate his point.

My mother: No. Taft was the SPAWN OF SATAN and he was corrupt and he sold out to the big steel companies and he was a REPUBLICAN.

Me: *tries to slide away but cannot because am s...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Brad Wheeler rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, science-fiction

For some reason, I always want to sing Queen's Flash Gordon theme song with Taft's name. "Taft...whoa-ohhhh...savior of the universe! "

Anyway, the book: it was okay. Taft was a well-realized character for the most part, and they handled his whole "transportation to the future" thing pretty well. There were no elaborate scenes of him gawking over Google or airplanes or whatever (except for a funny scene with Wii Golf). And he felt appropriately old-fashioned without being a parody. Heller obvious...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: american history buffs, Harry Turtledove fans

Recommended to Annette by: Tor

Shelves: alternative-history, satire

No wonder Americans had devolved into such a petty, sarcastic lot. They no longer had to look each other in the eye.

I don't know much about Taft's presidency, but this book comes at a great time in our history. Can you imagine it? A Republican with Progressive values? My, how the party has changed.

The book does go into a little history of the time so you can understand where and when Taft is coming from and how he relates to existing a century later. And how confused we are!

Heller writes a few...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Lianne Burwell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humour, alt-history

Taft 2012 is billed as a political satire, but I really don't think that's very accurate. Instead it's a light and fluffy (and short) gentle humor novel.

What if, on the day his successor is sworn in, William Howard Taft disappeared in 1913. What if he turned up again, à la Rip Van Winkle, in 2011, in the start of the build-up to the 2012 election. And what if a disenchanted electorate found that they really like what they know of his politics from a hundred years earlier.

So, we get Taft adjustin...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Dale rated it 4 of 5 stars

A little book about a big man (Would you like a little sci-fi with your politics?)

Published by Quirk Books in January of 2012.
248 pages.

Okay, let's get the ridiculous part of the book out of the way. Yes, Taft 2012 is based entirely on a silly premise: What if William Howard Taft disappeared from history the day Wilson was inaugurated and arrived in the year 2011 and fired up everyone's imagination to run for president again in 2012? But, setting that aside, what if Taft were alive and well tod...more

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Jan 05, 2012 G-Man rated it 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

The story begins with the interesting premise of William Howard Taft re-awakening in time for the 2012 election. Most of the book revolves around his difficulties assimilating to life 100 years in the future from the world he left behind, and seems to rely too heavily (pun intended) on his struggles with his weight and hunger. As a history buff, I would have preferred that this was a fact-filled tome that takes us into the psyche a...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Todd rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-politics, historical-novels, literature

Taft 2012 is a hilarious, mildly sardonic political satire. Jason Heller nails the political landscape of our present age and the hyper media that assaults us with political campaigns 24/7, 365 days of 3 out of every 4 years. Heller also manages to affectionately capture William Howard Taft, one of our nation’s most neglected presidents, blending history and alternate history into a wonderful character study.

How would a principled man, concerned with the rule of law and justice – a man who pref...more Taft 2012 is a hilarious, mildly sardonic political satire. Jason Heller nails the political landscape of our present age and the hyper media that assaults us with political campaigns 24/7, 365 days of 3 out of every 4 years. Heller also manages to affectionately capture William Howard Taft, one of our nation’s most neglected presidents, blending history and alternate history into a wonderful character study.

How would a principled man, concerned with the rule of law and justice – a man who preferred being a judge and only reluctantly pursued the White House – respond if he were to find himself thrust back into politics in the 21st century? How would deal with the social and technological changes. Taft, a believer in racial equality, finds himself discomfited by his own reaction to his great- granddaughter’s bi-racial marriage.

Heller’s work has awakened in me an interest in Big Bill Taft whereas before the only fact I knew was that he was a very large man (towering over 6ft and 365 pounds when he left office) who is the only president to have gotten stuck in the White House bathtub. The fire department had to be called in to free him, an embarrassing situation that dogged the man concerned with the dignity of the office and his own personal dignity.

Despite Big Bill’s strong principled character he was, at times, a pawn for Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt strongly endorsed the progressive Taft, who shared many of his views (both were trust busters), but when Taft didn’t do things the way Roosevelt felt they should be done, the former president betrayed his one time friend. Going against protocol, Roosevelt did not endorse Taft for his second term. Rather he split the GOP by declaring his candidacy as a third party candidate with the formation of his Bull Moose Party.

Roosevelt’s bombastic style and tremendous ego mixed with Taft’s long winded speech giving and tumultuous relationship with the press paved the way for the taciturn democrat, Woodrow Wilson, to win the Oval Office. Some historians believe this brought the end to the era of Republican Progressivism that had started with McKinley. That’s right young ‘uns, the GOP was once the progressive party. Racial equality was originally championed by them, while liberals promoted concepts such as eugenics.

As Heller’s Taft states in a television interview about the concepts of liberalism and conservativism,“If there’s one thing time has taught me, Pauline, it’s that those definitions are shifting and devious.”

Something to consider in our age of historical and political illiteracy, what distinguishes liberalism or conservativism today is markedly different than they were over a century ago during Taft’s ill fated one term presidency.

But Taft 2012 is less a history lesson than it is an attempt to view the morass of our present political landscape through the eyes of a forebear whose intimate acquaintance with the vicissitudes of public allow for keen insight. Therefore Taft 2012 rises above mere political satire and enters the realm of thoughtful, speculative fiction.

Heller mixes up his narrative with press releases, memos, news transcripts and articles rounding out the work to give it a feel of the story unfolding in real time. The reader is caught up in the urgent, frenetic pacing of our nation’s present political life. Books like Taft 2012 are the reason I love books and reading so damn much. Jason Heller – I am a fan.

Check out http://taft2012.com/
William Howard Taft for President

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Feb 25, 2012 Tad rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, humor

Taft 2012 is a quick, quirky, funny and surprisingly touching little book.

Jason Heller creates a world in which Taft disappeared nearly a hundred years earlier, only to reappear in the White House garden in 2011. He quickly gets up to speed on what has changed while he was away and before he knows it, becomes swept up in the 2012 presidential race.

The book maintains a light touch throughout. It is consistently humorous while also being poignant and sometimes very insightful. Taft takes you back...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first book in a long time that I've had a ton of fun reading. Not that I've been trudging through all the other books I've been reading, but this one was just a breath of fresh air. Exciting and unexpected.

What if William Howard Taft, after losing his re-election bid in 1912, disappeared completely from the public scene. His disappearance is a mystery until 2011 when he reawakens, apparently having fallen into a fitful slumber for 99 years. What would people do with a newly minted former pre...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

The first book in a long time that I've had a ton of fun reading. Not that I've been trudging through all the other books I've been reading, but this one was just a breath of fresh air. Exciting and unexpected.

What if William Howard Taft, after losing his re-election bid in 1912, disappeared completely from the public scene. His disappearance is a mystery until 2011 when he reawakens, apparently having fallen into a fitful slumber for 99 years. What would people do with a newly minted former pre...more

like · see review

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