Zeigler Releases Book Called “The Making of the People’s Governor 2018”
Just as Americans voted to “drain the swamp” with the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, Alabama voters will “drain the marsh in Montgomery” in 2018.
That is the theme of the new book by state auditor Jim Zeigler – The Making of the People’s Governor 2018. The 284-page paperback is available at: www.lulu.com/shop/jim-zeigler/
Zeigler (R), a former news reporter and journalism minor from the University of Alabama, released the book Saturday on Lulu.com,an Internet-based publishing house.
Zeigler says he was uncertain whether to classify his book as Alabama political history, or as a novel, since the futuristic parts are fiction. The publisher solved the problem by classifying the book as “humor”. Some of the lines that caused the humor classification include:
- We need a governor who is a penny pincher, not a lady pincher.
- Any resemblance of characters in this book to real persons, living or dead, is their own fault.
- To anyone offended by all or parts of this book, get over it.
- The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements for use to line bird cages and wrap small fish.
- Calling 2018 candidates for governor “the usual suspects,” a line from the movie “Casablanca.”
- In a reversal of the old tag line from the 1950’s TV show, “Dragnet” — The names have not been changed to protect the innocent – or the guilty.
- Instead of a Preamble, the book has a “Pre-Ramble.”
Here is an excerpt that summarizes the plot:
The book tells the story of the 2018 election for Governor of Alabama following the disastrous second term of Gov. Robert Bentley. The people of Alabama strongly wanted a change from the self-serving, money-wasting Montgomery Insiders to a voice for Alabama taxpayers. Several of the usual suspects ran for governor with no track records of having stood up against the abuses of the Bentley administration. But one candidate had stood up in the Bentley years and, in 2018, stood out from the rest.
Just as American voters voted to “Drain the Swamp” in the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, Alabama voters stood up and voted to “Drain the Marsh in Montgomery” in 2018. Drain the Marsh. Has a certain ring to it.
Zeigler says he will make no money off the book, since 100% of the proceeds go to promote the book to Alabama residents. This is the fourth book that Zeigler has published with Lulu.com, but the others addressed elder care planning, his profession before being elected state auditor in 2014.
Zeigler said Sunday he will be a candidate for office in 2018 when his term will be up as state auditor but has not decided which office to seek – governor or re-election as auditor.
“Whether I will run for governor or re-election as auditor depends partly on the people’s response to the new book.” He has until February 9, 2018 to decide, that being the deadline to file qualifying papers with the state Republican Party.
Gov. Robert Bentley is term-limited and cannot run forgovernor for a third term, making an open seat for governor. Zeigler is in his first term as auditor andcould opt to run for re-election.
Zeigler has been a strong critic of the Bentley administration since he was elected state auditor in 2014.
Alabama’s state elections will begin with party primaries June 5, 2018 and end with the general election November 6, 2018. A detailed guide from now throughout the 2018 gubernatorial election is in the book.
A new governor will be inaugurated January 21, 2019, a day that is featured in Zeigler’s book, including photos of the next inaugural ceremony. The book poses a riddle, asking readers to try and figure out how it contains numerous photos of events that do not occur until 2019.
How were the 2019 photos made? “You need to read the book to figure it out.” Zeigler said.
The title of the book was inspired by the best-selling series of historian Theodore H. White called, “The Making of the President” series. It included award-winning, The Making of the President 1960.
Zeigler says he expects other potential candidates for governor to copy this “Zeigler tactic” and publish books on their own, “mostly ghost-written by the usual suspect.”
He says he expects that he will win the “battle of the books.”
Zeigler says he will schedule book signings across the state after the legislative session is over in May. He says those signings will not interfere with his duties as state auditor “since we are 100% current on all audits and will remain current.”
Zeigler was a news reporter for the Talladega Daily Home in 1973 before winning a seat on the Alabama Public Service Commission at age 25.
Zeigler joked that he will give readers “double their money back if they do not like the free preview of my book. Since there is no charge for the preview, that promise is meaningless – like most politicians’ campaign promises.”
The free preview is on the Lulu.com site featuring Zeigler’s book. Look for the photo of the book cover with the word “Preview” underneath. Click “Preview” and you will see a pop-up with a free view of the first 12 pages of the book.
Zeigler says he got the idea for the book from potential presidential candidates who release a book about a year before they make a decision on running for president. “Potential candidates for governor have not written their pre-campaign books, but that has now changed. Just watch. Watch what an impact this book will have on the upcoming race for governor,” Zeigler predicted.
“Anyone who wants to follow the 2018 race for governor needs to read this book, or they are behind already and will stay behind.”
