“Allen Loughry has issued a reminder that there are watchdogs and whistleblowers willing to defy intimidation and do the difficult and necessary work of defending our American ideals. He approaches his work with an idealism thought impossible for someone involved in politics so many years.Ultimately, we find ourselves mired in Dr. Loughry’s Catch-22: to find political success it seems one has to play the game and ignore ethical quagmires, but by engaging in such behavior, one must accept the consequences of making voters apathetic and weakening our democracy.”United States Senator John McCain“Allen Loughry’s thought provoking call for honest government will not fall on deaf ears for anyone who picks up this book. The book points out clearly that the best political leaders demand honesty for themselves and the government they lead. It is a must read that no West Virginian should be without and no politician should ignore. It’s message, however, extends far beyond the great State of West Virginia.”Former West Virginia Governor Gaston Caperton“One of the best political books of all time. There has never been a book written like this anywhere in the entire country. Loughry has emerged as a fearless reformer who has written the most comprehensive yet readable book on West Virginia politics I have ever read. It is fascinating and will change the face of politics in West Virginia forever. I found myself going from one emotion to another in Loughry’s humorous, tragic, serious, clearly written, and inspirational compilation of political scandal and intrigue. I couldn’t put it down ” West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Elliott Spike” Maynard“Allen Loughry’s meticulously documented book on the bribe-soaked history of West Virginia is sordid, spellbinding, and mortifying but ultimately uplifting in the author’s conviction that real change in West Virginia is practical and possible. The book is filled with not only outrage but common sense and an attitude that the reader comes to recognize as a patriotic love of this wild, wonderful and deeply corrupt state. Loughry has written an indispensable and irreplaceable book.”Jamin B. Raskin, Professor of Law, American University and Director of its Program on Law and Government and
author of Overruled Democracy
“Dr. Allen Loughry’s story is more than a meticulously detailed history of West Virginia’s political corruption. He provides a fresh and scrupulously documented look at the characters and scofflaws who formed the ridges and valleys of the state’s political landscape. From Mother Jones and the mine wars to John Kennedy’s 1960 primary victory to the most recent statehouse scandals, and dozens more in between, it’s all here. Loughry carefully applies a dispassionate eye to the facts, and then reveals his own heartfelt yearnings for a better way. “Don’t Buy Another Vote…at times reads like an improbable tale of fiction, but it’s all true! Loughry has written one of the most complete understandings of our remarkable, but also deeply troubled state. If you believe in the state’s motto, that Mountaineers are Always Free, then you will first be appalled by the crassness of dozens of the state’s political leaders, but then inspired by Loughry’s hope for our state.” Hoppy Kercheval, MetroNews Talkline Host"Allen Loughry has written a devastating account of the political corruption that has for so long cursed West Virginia and offered a bold program for reform that could lift the state out of the mire and into the broad uplands of progress and good government."Charles Peters, Editor, The Washington Monthly
