Piety & Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House

by Tom LoBianco, Kaleo Griffith (Read by)

Overview

A revealing, in-depth biography of Mike Pence, the most secretive and ingratiating vice president in modern history, from a reporter with remarkable access.

No journalist has covered Mike Pence for as long or as closely as Tom LoBianco. The seasoned political reporter was at the first campaign rally governor Pence held in his hometown of Columbus, Indiana. He was there when Pence returned to Washington as Donald Trump’s vice president. Drawing on his deep ties both within the Beltway and in Indiana state politics, as well as reams of research and deep access to the vice president and his staff, LoBianco offers a revealing portrait of the devout Christian who shocked many of his closest followers when he joined the campaign and became one of the strongest champions of Donald Trump. He also explores the rumors—much debated inside the Beltway and among pundits in the media—surrounding the Vice President’s ambitions to succeed and even "overthrow" Trump.

LoBianco dissects Pence’s entire political life, from his detours in the ’90s, to his rapid ascension through the first decade of the twenty-first century, to the White House, and provides an inside account of how Pence nearly crashed and burned his career while governor, only to miraculously rise from the ashes thanks to the unlikely election of Trump. He also gives a rare look inside the "shadow government" Pence has built—a conservative machine at Trump’s call for now, but one that could just as easily step in if Trump is removed from office.

Piety & Power cuts to the core of the nation’s most enigmatic politician, and unearths new, important, and fascinating anecdotes about Pence’s faith, his marriage to Karen Pence, his bizarre, obsequious relationship with Trump, his deeply buried personality, his ascent to power under John Boehner, and his presidential aspirations and plans for America’s future.

From the explosive revelations of the Russia investigation to the sea change affecting the Republican party and its direction under Trump, it is vital that Americans know more about the man who could ascend to the Oval Office. Piety & Power provides insights and answers as it sheds light on this ambitious Midwestern politician, his past, and his possible future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063035591
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/30/2020
Edition description:	Low Price CD
Product dimensions:	0.00(w) x 0.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Tom LoBianco is a longtime reporter who has covered Mike Pence from the statehouse to the White House for the Associated Press, CNN, and the Indianapolis Star. LoBianco is a regular political analyst on national television and radio, including CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, NPR and more. In more than a decade covering politics, he has unearthed scores of stunning stories. He lives in the Washington D.C. area with his wife and daughter.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Introduction You Got What You Wanted, Mike 1

Prologue The Cornfield in Pence's Backyard 7

Chapter 1 Idyllic 17

Chapter 2 Conversion 25

Chapter 3 Candidate School-1988 47

Chapter 4 Broke-1990 65

Chapter 5 The Think Tank 77

Chapter 6 Mike Pence, Inc. V. Michael 89

Chapter 7 Resurrection-2000 107

Chapter 8 The Unknown 119

Chapter 9 Pence's Moment 143

Chapter 10 Back Home Again 165

Chapter 11 Governor Pence for President 189

Chapter 12 Now, George 207

Chapter 13 At Peace 221

Chapter 14 God's Plan 257

Chapter 15 Piety & Power 287

Acknowledgments 311

Notes 317

Index 363

Editorial Reviews

“LoBianco offers key insights into Pence’s personal life and career, including his evangelical conversion, and gives a highly-detailed history of how President Trump selected Pence to be his running mate in 2016.”

Time

“[There are] many details that LoBianco includes in the latest book that tries to answer the question of who is Mike Pence – and why the devout Christian has entwined himself with Trump.”

USA Today

Tom LoBianco asks all the right questions in Piety & Power, his crisp and engaging biography of the vice president.

New York Times Book Review

Like Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, [LoBianco is] good at getting people to talk. … LoBianco has come up with the best detailed treatment of Pence in the context of Indiana politics.

Indianapolis Star

Tom LoBianco asks all the right questions in Piety & Power, his crisp and engaging biography of the vice president…

The New York Times Book Review - Peter Baker

Tom LoBianco asks all the right questions in Piety & Power, his crisp and engaging biography of the vice president.” — New York Times Book Review

“LoBianco offers key insights into Pence’s personal life and career, including his evangelical conversion, and gives a highly-detailed history of how President Trump selected Pence to be his running mate in 2016.” — Time

“[There are] many details that LoBianco includes in the latest book that tries to answer the question of who is Mike Pence – and why the devout Christian has entwined himself with Trump.”  — USA Today

“In his evenhanded debut book, the author…allows the facts to speak for themselves. …A useful portrait of an enigmatic politician.” — KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Like Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, [LoBianco is] good at getting people to talk. … LoBianco has come up with the best detailed treatment of Pence in the context of Indiana politics.” — INDIANAPOLIS STAR

From the Publisher

Like Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, [LoBianco is] good at getting people to talk. … LoBianco has come up with the best detailed treatment of Pence in the context of Indiana politics.

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

[There are] many details that LoBianco includes in the latest book that tries to answer the question of who is Mike Pence – and why the devout Christian has entwined himself with Trump.” 

USA Today

LoBianco offers key insights into Pence’s personal life and career, including his evangelical conversion, and gives a highly-detailed history of how President Trump selected Pence to be his running mate in 2016.

Time

2019-07-28
A biography of the vice president, who has consistently demonstrated his "chameleon properties."

In his work for the Associated Press, CNN, and the Indianapolis Star, journalist LoBianco has observed Mike Pence's political career both as governor of Indiana and vice president. In his evenhanded debut book, the author sometimes offers his own commentary but mostly allows the facts to speak for themselves. (Pence declined to be interviewed for the book.) In The Shadow President (2018), Michael D'Antonio and Peter Eisner created a picture of Pence as an ineffective lawyer and governor and hypocritical vice president whose brand of Christian faith has led him to consistently condemn homosexuality and abortion. The co-authors argued that Pence could be considered an insignificant public figure with one exception: creating a persona as a radio talk show host in Indiana after losing two attempts to get elected to the House of Representatives; the show provided Pence a base that helped him gain entry to the House on his third attempt. LoBianco makes a similar argument, noting Pence's "self-affixed Christian-first label" and his long-held, unswerving belief that the God of an inerrant Bible has preordained his path to the presidency. LoBianco is especially effective in explaining how his rigid beliefs receive daily affirmation from Pence's wife, Karen. In convincing detail, the author shows how Karen made more final decisions about policy during Pence's governorship than Pence did. As the author writes, his subjugation to Karen's directions have likely carried over to his role as Donald Trump's vice president. Despite offering copious evidence and periodic interpretations, LoBianco reiterates throughout the narrative that Pence is the "ultimate political shapeshifter," especially compared to other elected politicians. The author presents the possibility that Pence could serve a second term if Trump wins in 2020 and then seek the presidency in 2024.

A useful portrait of an enigmatic politician.

Kirkus Reviews