The New Founders

by Joseph F. Connor, Michael S. Duncan

From Joe Connor and Mike Duncan comes an entertaining, educational, emotional and inspiring original novel about the father of our country's miraculous run for president in 21st century America. In The New Founders, the authors bring George Washington back to life taking on today's issues as he seeks the presidency with the help of his 21st century founding brothers. Six unsuspecting patriots are drawn together in Philadelphia over the Independence Day weekend. Though having just met, the men seem uncannily familiar and immediately act as if they have known each other forever...While touring Independence Hall the new friends encounter a mysterious man dressed in colonial garb who confirms to them their true identities. The men are overwhelmed by the evidence that they are the reincarnates of our founding fathers, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Hamilton and John and Sam Adams, brought together by Providence and the mysterious man who they come to accept as none other than George Washington.After their soul searching and self doubt subsides, the New Founders and their leader General Washington embark on an educational, emotional and often humorous journey to our nation's capital in search of Providence's intentions for them. On the way, The New Founders present a crash course on U.S. history to the father of our country, introducing him to and reminding the reader of the marvels of 21st century America that so many of us now take for granted. Washington, shaken by learning of the horrors of the Civil War, finds himself drawn to the Lincoln Memorial and the humble strength of President Abraham Lincoln. After his spontaneous speech extolling Lincoln's strength and our constitutional values on the steps of the Memorial creates a national sensation, radio talk show host Josh Anders and the other New Founders, realizing Providence's intentions, convince Washington to run for president.The New Founders build Washington's platform based on our principles of Life, Liberty, Property and the Pursuit of Happiness, all of which are defined in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. In doing so, they engage the reader by debating the major issues of today using the timeless, actual words and broad ranging ideas of the founders themselves.Candidate Washington, using a cleverly contrived alias, combats a snarling press obsessed with his destruction and an arrogant incumbent president bent on controlling the American people. Washington ultimately vanquishes these 21st century rivals buoyed by an electorate starved for a candidate who not only believes in them and their principles, but can plainly articulate the greatness of our society.The reader will realize that many of today's challenges are the very same as those our country faced during the American Revolution and can only be solved by adherence to our enduring constitutional principles. The New Founders is sure to be an emotional, entertaining and inspiring whirlwind ride through American History and into our future.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Edward · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a fictional account of Washington coming back to life. He takes someone else's identity, surrounds himself with advisers who happen to share the initials of the founding fathers, runs for President in 2012 as the Tea Party candidate (which allows for many attacks on Obama), and then has a final encounter with the also dead, but alive again George III. You got it - ZERO STARS.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this story is that George Washington is resurrected and others of the Founding Fathers are reincarnated. They range from publishers to historians, and conservative talk show hosts. There is also a businessman or two. Each person is identified by George Washington in their first foray into talking about George Washington running for President again. In the course of placing Washington into his presidential campaign, it was fascinating and somewhat shocking to see how rich people could take on a new identity.

The story had all the new founders as part of the presidential campaign, as well as a liberal T.V. talk show host who was possessed and wanted to kill George. George also identified the T.V. host as King George III before both were taken away and the V.P. candidate took office. (The fact that the host was possessed and would kill George Washington was quite obvious in the way the writers wrote him. A disservice because of the erroneous argument: i.e. This fictional character was possessed. This fictional character was liberal. All liberals are possessed.)

I was skeptical of the resurrecting and reincarnation aspects of the story, but it is fiction so suspending belief is a part of it (the Fourth Wall). The part that broke the Fourth Wall was a sermon on conservative principles (which was identified as a rant in the story), given by an ordained woman minister. Specifically, I do not know of any conservative denomination which ordains women ministers. {Please inform me if you know of one.}
I also could not figure out whether this was promoting Republican, Libertarian, or Tea Party factions as the bannermen of conservative ideals. When talking about planks of the Republican presidential platform, I was somewhat surprised that they did not include anything (and I mean ANYTHING) about abortion or gay marriage. There was a heavy concentration on race because of Washington's desire to free the slaves and his felt camaraderie with Abraham Lincoln.

This book also made me wonder: what if George had some interactions with liberals, not in the context of interviews or debates? or moderates? Everything in the book was set up to make conservatives of all brands enthusiastic (perhaps overly so) for this type of president.

There were one or two sentences which have some background, explanation or both for the Republican win in 2016.

I was intrigued by the idea, but the reality of the book left much to be desired. This book could be described as a self-congratulatory celebration of conservative ideals without much looking around and seeing where, for example, the fear that government could interfere with the food production: that has already been done by production limits and other programs. Not, as this book claimed through Washington, is a fear that is in the future.

[Rosanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this until it began to be a Tea Party tract with George Washington's face stamped on it. I read more than half and saw no sign of it becoming a more balanced, objective approach, and gave up. If it changed after that, someone please let me know and I'll finish it. A wonderful premise, though.

[Michael Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book which blends the words and history of the American Founders with a modern presidential campaign. The authors have a firm grasp of their subject and bringing the ideas of the Founders into a modern context is an engaging and extremely enjoyable read.