Customer Reviews

The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gold and Tax Cuts

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I have read the entire book, but I have not discussed it with anyone else who has read it. It seems to me that Root's major purpose with this book is to persuade conservatives to become libertarians in their thinking. This is not a book that seems to have the major purpose of persuading Libertarians to nominate Root for president.

Root's technique for moving conservatives to more libertarian thinking seems to be to show at the beginning that he has been a conservative himself, and that he still appreciates the values that conservatives value. So, as one reads through the book, Root seems to evolve. For example, page 24 seems to indicate he is only opposed to drug prohibition when the federal government does it. If someone stops reading there, that is the impression one will have of Root's thinking. But, on pages 79-81, the book makes a strong case against any government (state or local as well as federal) from blocking medical marijuana. Then, on pages 225-226, he makes a stronger, more emotional case against drug laws. Then, on pages 260-263, he talks about the horrible way in which Steve Kubby was persecuted.

Root's education policy also seems to change as one reads further into the book. Pages 164-167 seems to endorse the idea that state and local government should handle education. But, when one reads further, there is a big shift. Page 207 says, "As long as most of our children are educated in government-run public schools, the government bureaucrats running them will instill the idea into the heads of their captive audience (our children) that more govenment is better."

In order for a book to persuade, the reader must be open to persuasion. Root's technique probably works better than most books do to persuade conservatives toward libertarianism. I have re-reviewed all the campaign books published by Libertarian presidential nominees (all LP presidential nominees wrote a campaign book, either before or after they were nominated, except for Andre Marrou). I believe that this is the best book for persuading conservatives toward libertarianism, of any of those books. There are times when I was angry at Root's book, but those moments came less and less frequently as I kept reading. It is not fair to the book to put it down without reading all of it. And, it is never boring. I spotted a few factual errors but no non-fiction book of this length is ever perfectly accurate.

Wayne Allyn Root GETS IT. And he knows how to unscrew a screwed up country.

Wayne Allyn Root is a sharp, savvy, creative, free-thinking, ballsy Nevada politician, honest, with great no-nonsense communication skills, a small business owner, an authentic shrink-government libertarian, a big-thinker, a big-picture realist with foresight willing to reach out to different groups, a coalition-builder. He's a man with a plan.

And Wayne Allyn Root is running for president in 2012. He's worth watching. He's SUPREMELY INTERESTING. He's eminently quotable. There's a chance he might actually win. And this excellent book (1) describes him and his values (2) outlines his electoral strategy for winning the presidency (3) critiques American politics and (4) offers his fix.

I'm non-partisan, an independent thinker and TOUGH CRITIC (see my other book reviews) but I couldn't help thinking, as I read through this excellent book, that Wayne Allyn Root UNDERSTANDS. I found this book refreshing, intelligent, speaking to the heart. There are a few things I disagree, with which will always be the case with any book I review, but I think America would be in much better shape with Wayne Allyn Root at the helm.

What I found profoundly interesting was his strategy for winning. Any serious student of American history knows that rarely, if ever, have third party candidates ever been successful. The American system is a two-party system. But there is tremendous disenchantment with both parties, particularly with the Republican party, by voters -- he uses the term "battered voter" syndrome. I think he's right that the electorate leans center-right. He criticizes both parties for having an agenda at odds with public well-being. But voters describing themselves as libertarian may be, perhaps, 1% to 2% of the electorate. So, what's a libertarian to do?

He details nine segments to appeal to:
(1) Independent minded small business owners (like himself; sizeable numbers, $ for support)
(2) Parents upset with poor education, particularly home-schooler types
(3) On-line gaming and poker enthusiasts -- casino owners will have much-needed cash to support his candidacy
(4) conservative voters who feel abandoned by the GOP (sizeable chunk of voters)
(5) Ron Paul supporters (5% perhaps of electorate?) -- he's "Ron Paul on steroids", younger, more energetic
(6) Younger voters and college students (helpful for campaigning, but younger voters mostly don't vote)
(7) Healthy and holistic living types (some may not be happy with his stance on global warming; he feels it's overblown)
(8) Gun rights (hunters, owners) -- a significant, passionate group
(9) Locally elected officials, mostly Republicans disillusioned with the GOP and Bush (sensible)

He reaches out to Christians, as well, saying he prays every day. The word "God" appears in the book's subtitle. But he argues persuasively for separation of church and state -- Christians mustn't impose their ideas on others lest another religion come to power. Perhaps many Christians will buy into this, but whether they'll accept his Jewish background remains to be seen. Doing Venn diagrams of these groups -- Christians, gun-owners, and gamblers -- and you've got significant voters if you use the word "OR" to conjoin the circles, but few if you use "AND". Will Christians not vote for him because of his pro-gambling stance? Or will he pick up both Christians and gamblers?

My rudimentary knowledge of marketing suggests this is a sensible beginning for a political campaign. He knows his base. So there's a chance that he might be able to break out of the libertarian box, get some traction, become a viable candidate, and in a campaign move to the center, and possibly win. He might pull off a Ross Perot, hopefully better. But surely he knows what political consultants know, that this will be a tremendously uphill battle. America is image-land, entertainment-ville; candidates succeed by looking pretty, saying pretty things, numbing people with bromides and inane promises. And Wayne Allyn Root speaks truthfully and doesn't present his face on the book's cover -- a seasoned political consultant would sense an image problem from two counties away.

Wayne Allyn Root's critique of America is tough and intelligent. Government employee unions have gone wild. They're a privileged bunch. "Why do public employees ... deserve higher compensation than private sector employees?" he asks. He's critical of California's big government, big taxes, special interests. I delight in his plain-writing ability: "No politician in the US at any level of office should serve more than two to three terms. Period." He writes with a plain, no-nonsense, easy-to-grasp style which people instantly get. If he speaks like he writes, he'll be a strong contender.

He grasps the fundamental importance of states' rights. He believes "competition among the states for business and residents (will) likely becomes fierce". This means freedom for us -- fifty ongoing political experiments vying for our approval -- and this is one part of my solution to prevent tyranny and terrorism (see my book below).

If elected president, Wayne Allyn Root would impound funds (Jefferson did this, Nixon too) and return unused monies to the people. I approve. He argues "most government spending today is in violation of Article I, Section 8, of our Constitution". His hero is Barry Goldwater, a tough free-thinking Arizona Republican from the sixties. He'd stop all unfunded mandates. He'd abolish the alphabet soup of government agencies and -- what's particularly ballsy -- he lists the agencies by name over two pages. Perhaps 70 agencies in all (sorry, I didn't count) including Amtrak, Ginnie Mae, the IRS. I agree with him that employees of these mostly useless agencies do very little to help us, work 9am-5pm while private-sector Americans sometimes work 12 and 14 hour days. The Internal Revenue Service with it's 70,000+ page tax control is a behemoth of outrageousness in my view (great alternative: "FairTax"). I'd go further: I'd abolish the US Post Office. Wayne Allyn Root would abolish the Federal Reserve System, noting that there's nothing in the Constitution allowing a central bank. He's right. He writes: "When we're done, the US government will be so small that it will be a one-line listing in the white pages of your local telephone directory." I love it.

Wayne Allyn Root would legalize gambling from coast to coast, and in this respect, I'm somewhat more cautious. He believes gambling revenues would bring in huge revenue, which is probably correct. He writes: "That's $50 billion -- with a B." But I see gambling as a negative regressive tax, a non-productive activity, a statistical trick to extract money from fools; yet, at the same time, I'm highly in favor of freedom of people to do what they want. My preference is each state to regulate gambling as they choose. But generally I like the idea of his "Nevada Model" being extended from coast to coast.

He'd legalize medical marijuana. I believe all drugs should be legalized (again, part of a terrorism prevention strategy) because it undermines the incentive of criminal enterprises to supply these drugs. I think an intelligent compromise is to restrict drug use to specific times and places, and to penalize violence, not vice. Wayne Allyn Root correctly notes that there are huge swaths of the government which owe their livelihood to the dubious activity of trying to enforce drug laws.

As a government reformer, he thinks big. To solve the problem of lobbying controlling congress, he's expand its size to 3000 members, with a ratio of one congressperson for every 100,000 voters, and make being a congressperson a part-time job, with limits of two six-year terms. It would be much harder to bribe such a huge body, he argues. While I think suggestions like these demand more thinking, particularly by an enlightened body such as a Second Constitutional Convention, I applaud Wayne Allyn Root for directing his attention to this problem. He wants a return to "true citizen legislators" who could possibly meet by video-conferencing. He'd rethink voting, perhaps with a "ranked choice voting" method which is fairer to underdog third-party candidates. He favors federal referendums, eliminating earmarks ("Period." he writes), banishing corporate welfare, decreasing foreign aid, allowing any immigrant to move here who agrees to buy a $250K+ house ("That solves our foreclosure problem", he writes; what a smart solution), presidential vetoes, a balanced budget amendment, spending freezes (first day in office, he says, he'd freeze spending), encourage renewable energy, restoring the power of parents regarding matters of educating their children.

He draws a sharp contrast with President Barack Obama. Barack Obama was a law student, law professor, lawyer, community activist, career politician; in contrast, Wayne Allyn Root has been a small business owner, founded a business, created jobs, risked his own money, paid other peoples' health insurance and payroll taxes, faced endless government regulations which interfere with all businesses.

Summing up: a great book by a savvy up-and-coming politician, perhaps the next Ron Paul or Ross Perot or Barry Goldwater, energetic, quotable, sharp. Wayne Allyn Root -- you have my vote. Last, I believe Wayne Allyn Root is sharp enough to be a delegate to the Second Constitutional Convention in July 2010, and I invite him to be a delegate, and I hope he decides to attend.

Thomas W. Sulcer
Author of "The Second Constitution of the United States"
(free on web; google title + Sulcer)

Wayne Allyn Root has written an absolute masterpiece that is required reading for anyone that is "mad as hell and not going to take it any longer". If you feel that your voice no longer matters, and that the always conflicted beltway insiders have taken over our once great Republic, then simply read this book...it will embolden and empower you. Unlike many well-known authors, each written word was his own, as he chose not to use a ghostwriter. And for those that know Wayne, either personally or through his many television, radio, and personal appearances (not to mention the fact that he was the VP nominee for the Libertarian Party), you can hear his always conservative, consistent and determined voice speak the words as you read each page. This is Wayne Allyn Root at his absolute best.
Soon, either next month or next year, the public will see the Obama administration for what it is...an attempt to overthrow essentially every important principal that our founding fathers risked their very lives for. When this day comes, Wayne's book will propel him into the center of the debate for returning America to the greatness we once enjoyed. Wayne Allyn Root for President in 2012!

Kip Herriage
CEO, Wealth Masters International

If there's one thing that Wayne Allyn Root excels at, it's getting people's attention. In an age of politically correct tiptoeing, Wayne dishes out the truth, sans sugarcoating. That's what has made him a frequent guest on such shows as Neil Cavuto's Your World and The Glenn Beck Program.

Now, with his just-released book, The Conscience of a Libertarian, Wayne covers the entire spectrum of political and social issues. And in doing so, he manages to stay focused on the root of the issue: liberty. Covering everything from abortion to government bailouts to health care, what makes him stand out from reach-across-the-aisle conservatives is his consistency. It is a trait for which I enormously respect him.

The title The Conscience of a Libertarian is, of course, a play on Barry Goldwater's famous book, The Conscience of a Conservative. It's no coincidence that Goldwater is one of Root's heroes. What's interesting is that when Goldwater ran for president in 1964, many thought of him as a right-wing zealot. And, as a result, he lost in landslide to incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson.

The truth? Barry Goldwater was a libertarian-centered conservative, cut in the mold of the Founding Fathers. For example, Root points out that Goldwater called it "conservative" to not want government in your bedroom. As one of his other heroes, Ronald Reagan, said, "The very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." Had Goldwater written his book today, he might very well have named it The Conscience of a Libertarian.

One of the more important aspects of Root's book is that he takes former Columbia classmate Barack Obama to task -- head on. No niceties or political correctness, thank you -- just the bold, raw truth. It's understandable he says that some might refer to him as "the Anti-Obama." I would go one step further and say that The Conscience of a Libertarian is the ultimate anti-Obama book.

In this fast-paced work, Root disrobes just about every Obama scheme the president has pulled off to date, and, even more important, the schemes he is still trying to sell to the American Public. One of the points I especially appreciated in this regard is when he said:

"Once the clear-cut majority of people either work for government, or collect a paycheck from government, the majority will vote for higher and higher taxes on the minority (those who earn their own keep, create jobs, risk their money to build business). Why not? Taxes aren't painful, as long as someone else has to pay them."

He later warns, "Giving government power is always a dangerous idea. Today government may use that power on your behalf. You may applaud government's decision. But tomorrow government may change sides and decide to use the power you have given them ... against you. The best solution is to never give the government that authority, power, or control in the first place -- simply because (drum roll please) it's none of the government's darn business." Amen.

I was happy to see Wayne define the term Libertarian as someone who "is fiscally conservative, socially tolerant, pro freedom, pro constitution, standing for more rights for the individual, and reducing the size, scope, and power of government." He goes on to say that if you word it that way, the LP has the potential to attract a majority of U.S. voters."

For me, he nailed it with these words. I have always believed that there are millions of conservatives who don't realize that they are very much aligned with libertarianism -- in other words, the kind of conservatism that Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan believed in.

Those of us who believe that liberty is the key issue -- that it must be given a higher priority than all other objectives -- need to stop the infighting and academic debates and join arms. The enemy -- progressivism -- is relentless. Progressives love it when the other side brawls internally and surely would hate the thought of conservatives and libertarians joining forces. Wayne Root has it right -- libertarian right.

Finally, true to his bold, relentless nature, Root closes out his 350-page book by making it clear that he is the man to lead the Libertarian Party to first-class status in 2012. Had he not done so, he wouldn't be Wayne Allyn Root. He is a bold leader who is prepared to fight to return America to its libertarian-centered conservative roots.

It's almost a cliché to call a book required reading, but it's definitely true of The Conscience of a Libertarian. It is a rare combination of important, factual content conveyed in an entertaining, easy-to-understand style. Wayne's writing is both breezy and pithy, which makes you anxious to see what's coming on the next page. There is not a dull spot anywhere along the way, so fasten your seat belt.
If you would like to "hear" a knowledgeable voice cover all of America's ills -- and offer workable solutions in a consistently pro-liberty manner -- you will absolutely love The Conscience of a Libertarian.

I just received my copy of Wayne's new book, "The Conscience of a Libertarian" and I am very glad I bought this book. I have read political books before and many of these have been a struggle to get through, but Wayne's sense of humor makes this a fast paced read. Don't let the title fool you, this is not a book for just libertarians but for everyone. If you are concerned with the out of control spending by our federal government and its out of control growth. If you are tired of our elected officials ignoring the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, then I think you will enjoy reading this book.

If nothing else, Wayne Root deserves some kind of prize for coming up with one of the world's longest book titles: 30 syllables by my count. The title is meant to evoke Barry Goldwater's "Conscience of A Conservative," published almost half a century ago, and I'm sure that Mr. Root would like his book to become as influential as Goldwater's was. Unfortunately for him, it almost certainly won't.

For one thing, it's WAY too long for a campaign book. And make no mistake, that's what this is. Root is running hard for the Libertarian Party's 2012 Presidential nomination, and this bombastic tome - three and a half times as long as Goldwater's book - is bloated and turgid. He makes some points over and over and OVER, while ignoring many "liberal" aspects of the libertarian political philosophy.

Clearly, his intent here is to sell himself to disgruntled conservatives seeking an alternative to the tired and fractious GOP. This strategy may work, but most longtime libertarians (such as myself) are less than enthralled by his constant evocation of God, and his ludicrous assertion that the United States owes its success to its citizens' faith in God. There are lots of nations founded on adherence to one religion or another, and many of them are authoritarian hellholes.

Will this book help Root win the Libertarian Presidential nomination? I doubt it, because while it will win him praise on the Right, it is likely to alienate many of the Libertarian Party activists who choose their party's national ticket. I've met Wayne on several occasions and he's a likable guy, but his views are a still-evolving mix of libertarian and conservative positions. If they continue to evolve toward a more consistently libertarian stance, he will have a better shot at the 2012 nomination.

To sum up, this is surely not the worst book I've ever read, or even the worst political tract - Mein Kampf probably wins that dubious honor - but there are numerous better books on libertarianism available. Enter "libertarianism" into Amazon's search box (above) and you'll get a list of books on this topic. Almost all are better than Root's effort. (And shorter, too!)

This book may be a landmark in the history of the Libertarian movement. As a conservative, it is impossible to not see the Populist slant Root has given the Libertarian message, but it is done while preserving the original Libertarian ideals. Well written, cruises along, and I devoured most of the book during a single flight from DC to Oregon. Certainly the Republican Party lacks this level of innovation and urgency and a fair number of Democrats must acknowledge Root's well-reasoned chapters as well. I'll be eager to see if the Libertarian effort in 2012 doesn't make a fair showing with a guy like Root at the helm. In the context of our economic meltdown, the book is timely and relevant. Definitely worth the money.

Wayne Root's "Conscience of a Libertarian" is a call for exactly what's needed-- free enterprise and entrepreneurship-- not socialist central planning. Could anything be simpler? Wayne lays it all out, and his personal story backs up everything he says. Freedom is the answer-- and as Wayne quotes from Ronald Reagan "government is the problem."

Root was the Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate in 2008, and a leading libertarian presidential candidate looking forward. But, but . . . what about our two party Democrat/Republican system, you might ask? Root points out the obvious-- the two establishment parties are in this together, and George Bush, et al are every bit as complicit for the mess we're in as their Democrat colleagues from the left.

Root tells the story of his early political career in New York. His father (a butcher) was one of the founders of the Conservative Party in New York. It all seemed like an empty dream-- until they elected James Buckley as a Conservative Party senator and upset all the applecarts in the Empire State. Meanwhile Wayne and his father were supporting Wayne's hero (Barry Goldwater)and Wayne-- a self-- described SOB (son of a butcher) was getting his early education as a freedom activist.

Root graduated from Columbia in the same class as Barack Obama. Both were pre--law majors; but Wayne points out how far their careers diverged after that. Obama has never met a payroll; never paid an employee health insurance premium; never run a business-- and pretty much has never done anything in his life that could be characterized as something other than government work. Wayne by contrast has built a free market entrepreneurial business career in his adopted home state of Nevada. One of his funniest stories is how the Feds took over the Mustang Ranch brothel outside Las Vegas after the former owner went into hiding for tax evasion. It's impossible to lose money running a Vegas brothel-- right? Root tells us that the Fed had bankrupted Mustang Ranch in barely a year-- just like they do with every other business they get their hooks into.

Civil liberties are a cornerstone of libertarian philosophy, and Wayne-- a non-- smoker who's never inhaled; a homeschooling father of four who's been married to the same woman for decades; and who favors healthy foods, exercise, etc.-- tells us that none of these sorts of things are the business of the government. Get the government out of our bedrooms and out of our lives, Root says.

Most of the book is focused on economics. In a time of enormous economic change, Wayne Root comes out very strong as a self described evangelist for capitalism. We need more like him. The great debate over the next few years is going to be between those who believe in centralized government and those who support the free market. There's no doubt about which side Wayne Root is on. An excellent read about what's gone so very wrong in America-- and what we can do about it.

I am sick of the 2 party system that is failing us all. I got this book and loved it. It is wonderful insightful book that gets right to the point. It makes so much sense. This should be required reading for Congress.

This is a great book. Wayne has some great ideas that would fix this country. We just need to get the word out. He does not force anything on the reader. Great easy read. Get this book.