Josh Mandel: State Senate Candidate, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel is the grandson of Jewish WW2 survivors from Auschwitz prison camps.  He is a fighter for faith issues and is the winner of the Public Integrity Award for outstanding contributions to responsible and ethical conduct and public service.  Mandel discusses the importance of making decisions in office based on ethics and core values.

Air Date: 08/02/2017

Guests: Josh Mandel, David Barton, Rick Green, and Tim Barton

Listen:

Download: Click Here

Transcription note:  As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast.  However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers.  Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times.  We apologize in advance.

Faith And The Culture

Rick:

Welcome to the intersection of faith and the culture, this is WallBuilders Live! Where we”€™re talking about today”€™s hottest topics on policy, faith, and the culture, always looking at it from a Biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective.

We’re here with David Barton, America’s premier historian and the founder of WallBuilders. Also, Tim Barton, national speaker, pastor, and president of WallBuilders. And my name is Rick Green.  I’m a former Texas state rep, national speaker, and author.

You can find out more about us and the organization at our websites WallBuilders.com and WallBuildersLive.com, where you can also get a list of all of our stations that we’re on across the country as well as listen to some of the programs over the last few weeks. They’re in the archives section. Also, visit WallBuilders.com that’s our main site. And there’s a wealth of information there for you as well.

Later in the program, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel will be with us.   Right now, we’re here with David and Tim Barton. And guys, you know a lot of people sometimes even e-mail us about this but a lot of people think there’s nobody good in politics that are actually standing for truth.

Some Politicians Are Standing For Truth

They get very jaded and negative because they only hear negative media. We get the privilege of working with a lot of congressmen and state legislators and statewide officials that actually have a great world view.  They’re conservatives.  They actually are constitutional and they’re standing up for good principles.

David:
Well, you know that’s one of the things that we actually make a point of at the pastor’s briefings.  It is one of the things that so surprises pastors because the first night when we get them together in Washington, D.C. and we start the first night with a tour of the U.S. Capitol.  Spiritual Heritage Tour sponsored by their representative or senator that lets us go in and see the Capitol after hours where we can spend a couple hours going in the rooms.

Usually, you don’t see on a tour. So when we get together that night we kind of lay out what’s going to happen the next day.  Because the next day on Wednesday there’s 12 to 15 congressmen and senators that come in and talk to them. Individually laying out things.  And so we always asked these pastors and we kind of limited to 120 at a time because that’s what will fit in the Capitol.  The old rooms in the Capitol were not made for bigger crowds so we can hold it to 120.

And we’ll ask these guys, OK, think about the media over the last year.  The last two years.  We want you to mention every congressman or senator that you have seen on the news in the last year or two.

And if it’s outside of their states, whatever state they’re in they’ll see their own senators occasionally.  But outside of that, I don’t know that we’ve ever had more than four or five names ever listed.

Now you get 435 members of the House. You’ve got 100 members of the U.S. Senate.  That’s 535 members of Congress and we get four or five names is all they’ve ever seen on TV. And generally, there’s going to be — I could name 15 to 18 names but it’s generally the same 15 to 18 names.

And so the public image you get of what Washington, D.C. congressmen and senators look like is going to be Chuck Schumer and it’s going to be John McCain. And you know, you go through and you say,  “Well they’re not really impressive to me. They’re not very conservative.  They don’t have my faith values, etc.”

Yeah, but the guys that are going to come in and see you all day long on Wednesday, all these 12 to 15 they’re all going to be faith guys.  They’re all going to be guys who believe just what you believe and when you hear them you’re going to go,  “Gee whiz I never knew they were here.”

Yeah, exactly what you just laid out, Rick, is that most people don’t know those kinds of people or they’re in office because they never see those kinds of people. That’s not what the news highlights.  And our perception of politics is based on what we perceive or what we see.  And we get such a tiny, incomplete picture.

Politics Is Not What You See On TV

My goodness, with 535 members in Congress, a group of 120 pastors that can they maybe five guys.  That’s 1 percent of the Congress. You can tell me your view of Congress is based on you’re seeing 1 percent of them on TV.

And that’s why it is so important to know some of the good guys that are out there that we just don’t hear about because that will change our image of politics and whether we should be involved in politics and whether we should support those that are in politics and definitely disprove that, “Well they’re all the same.  It doesn’t matter where they run or who they run for.  They’re all the same.  There’s no difference.”

Yes, there is.  You just haven’t seen it before. And that’s what we love pointing out some of those good guys that are that you just don’t hear about.
Rick:
Let’s take a quick break. We’ll be right back. You’re listening to WallBuilders Live.

Moment From American History

This is Tim Barton from WallBuilders with another moment from American history. American Patriot Paul Revere road to alert Americans of the impending arrival of the British. But he also sought patriot leader Samuel Adams and John Hancock to warn them that the British were seeking their execution.

Adams and Hancock were staying with the Reverend Jonas Clark in Lexington. When they asked Pastor Clark if his church was ready for the approaching British he replied, “€œI’ve trained them for this very hour. They will fight and, if need be, die under the shadow of the house of God.”€

Later that morning 70 men from his church, and several hundred British in the first battle of the War for Independence. As Pastor Clark affirmed, “€œThe militia that morning were the same who filled the pews of the church meeting house on the Sunday morning before.”€

The American church was regularly at the forefront of the fight for liberty. For more information on this pastor and other Colonial Patriots go to WallBuilders.com.

Rick:
Welcome back.  Thanks for staying with us here on WallBuilders Live.  Back with David and Tim Barton.  Later in the program, Josh Mandel will be with us —  Ohio treasurer.

And David, he’s one of those guys you’re talking about. I mean, one of the ones that actually does stand for principle and has a great reputation there in Ohio for that.

Josh Mandel Is One Of The Good Ones

David:
Yeah, Josh is really a good guy.  Got to know him years ago. In Ohio was very active working with groups in Ohio and getting people into office.  And Josh ran for state rep and then he ran for state treasurer and I got to endorse him in that spot because I thought he is the right guy and a great guy.

And all the years he’s been in office,  you haven’t heard anything about and that’s been negative because he’s done really good.  Which means there are going to be basically silence about him.

If he has done something wrong, that’s what you would hear about and that’s what media loves to highlight. But when guys get in there and do the right thing consistently across time it’s like nobody even notices they’re there. And Josh, I think good news for all of America, is Josh is a guy who is now running for the U.S. Senate.

He’s been treasurer for two terms.  Done a great job with the state treasury there in Ohio and the economic turnaround they’ve had in Ohio. He’s helped preside over that. And so really good stuff.

And now he’s going for the U.S. Senate against a very, very liberal, very progressive senator.  And having Josh–I love Josh, because Josh is a conservative, Jewish guy. He is a biblical thinking guy and he gets along great with Christians. They’re his allies and his friends and I had no trouble endorsing Josh.

And actually, he’s got a really cool story. I mean his story goes back to World War II roots where he might not have been here had his Jewish grandparents not survived Auschwitz. I mean, they were in Poland in the prison camps and were one of the really, handful of percentage that was not exterminated.

Rick:And you just visited there last year.

Josh Mandel is Grandson of Prison Camp Survivors in Auschwitz

David:
Yeah. Just visit there last year.  Was at Auschwitz and the other extermination camps. And you know Josh has got a great heritage there. And here he is today as a result.

It’s kind of like the story the Mayflower.  You remember on the Mayflower, one of those folks got washed overboard. They were able to get them back on the ship in the middle of a storm which they should never have been able to do.  But somebody tracked how many descendants have come from that one person who was washed overboard and survived.

It’s like- I don’t know, over the last 400 years is like a hundred thousand people have been born as a result of that one person not being killed. And so Josh is kind of the same way.  Had his grandparents not survived in Auschwitz, he wouldn’t be here today.  And America would be deprived of a really, really good leader.

Fighter For Faith issues

He’s a fighter for faith issues.  Way back in the state legislature, he stood up and fought for Biblical faith issues at that point in time and he has not changed in any way shape, fashion, or form.

But it’s just a really good guy and a good name to highlight because I think you’re going to be seeing this guy. I think he probably will be able to win the U.S. Senate race. If so, then you’re going to have an ally in there for the Ted Cruz and the Mike Lees and the James Langfords the Jim Inhofes and the good senators who got in there.  That tribe would be growing.  And Josh would be one of those guys.

Rick:
Yeah, no doubt. I mean another person that actually stands on constitutional principles.  Looking forward to visiting with him.  We will find out a little bit more about him.  Josh Mandel, we had him on 10 years ago.  It’s been a long time, but we had him on another issue 10 years ago.  Josh Mandel, our guest here on WallBuilders Live.

Pastors Only Briefing Trip

Tim:

Hi, this is Tim Barton with WallBuilders and I want to encourage all the pastors out there with a unique opportunity that we’re presenting it WallBuilders. We’re doing a special tour just for pastors that you can come and learn more about the spiritual heritage of our nation. Not just seeing the sights but understanding the significance of what they are and what they represent.

We get to go to the Capitol at night.  And we get to see the spiritual heritage of our Founding Fathers, of who we are as a nation, where we came from. We bring in congressman that will tell you about current legislation, about our religious liberties and freedom, and what’s going on in Washington, D.C.

If you’re a pastor or if you want to recommend your pastor for this trip, you can go to our website at www.WallBuilders.com. And there’s a link that’s for scheduling.  If you click on that link there’s a section for pastor”€™s briefing. There’s more information about the dates, when it’s going, and how it’s going to happen. If you want to know more about our nation, our religious liberties, our freedom, our spiritual heritage, this is a trip you want to be a part of.

Guest, Josh Mandel

Rick:
Welcome back to WallBuilders Live.  Thanks for staying with us today. Josh Mandel is with us.  He’s the treasurer of the great state of Ohio, former state representative there. Josh, good to have you back on the program, sir.

Josh Mandel:

Hey, Rick, always good to be on.

Rick:
Hey man, we were doing this 10 years ago when the Speaker of the House said that people couldn’t pray in a particular deity’s name.  And you guys in the House said, “I don’t think so.  We’re not going that route.”

So it’s good to have you back, though, it’s been too long.

Josh Mandel:
I was proud back then and I’m still proud to stand up for pastors and their freedom to say whatever prayer they want to.

Rick:
Well, good deal.  David Barton and I’ve been talking about you and your story is incredible. We love the fact that you went from service in the military as a Marine serving our country on the frontlines to serving now in the political realm.

We actually want to see more of that. Those of you that were willing to put your life on the line now being in the public service realm.

How difficult was that shift from,  you got decisions to make on the ground that maybe are a little bit more black and white to now you’ve got to deal with all these politicians?  You’ve been in the political realm for 10-12 years now. How different is it?

Marine Code of Honesty Lacking in Politics

Josh Mandel:
You know, the thing I miss the most about the Marine Corps is just the code. It’s you know, guys are firm and fair and they’re always honest with you. And what happens in politics, you have a lot of people who say one thing your face and they do another thing behind your back.

And so, the thing I missed most of the Marine Corps is being around Marines and wish there were more people in public office serving on the civilian side that carried with them that code that was instilled in us and hammered into us in the Marine Corps.

Winner of the Public Integrity Award

Well, I noticed actually, you got an award the Public Integrity Award for outstanding contributions to responsible and ethical conduct and public service. That’s not something the public hears much about. We typically only hear negative stories about people that are in public office.

Most people in America tend to have this jaded kind of attitude that all politicians are crooks.  They’re all gaming the system or whatever. So to see something like the public integrity where, frankly, I think we need to see more of that when you know there are some good folks out there that still do live by a code even in public office.

Josh Mandel:
I agree. You having a moral and ethical code is so important. Also, important core values. You know, I find myself a lot of times in public service standing up to people in the Republican Party. I’m a conservative before I’m a Republican. And sometimes when there are Republicans acting like Democrats I have an obligation to stand up to them and stand up to the folks in the political establishment who are just trying to do good by themselves instead of doing good for the people.

Stood Against Common Core

And so, here in Ohio, I’ll give you an example. There were a lot of Republicans, including the Republican governor, who were trying to embrace Common Core. I stood up and led the charge against it and I basically said, “Listen, nowhere in the United States Constitution do we read about the federal government being involved in our kids’ education.”

Rick:

That’s right.

Josh Mandel:

There’s no role for the federal government to play. This is about local communities. This is about parents making decisions about what’s best for their kids. And from the people who brought us Obamacare and the postal service, why the heck would we want them involved with our kids’ education. Allow the moms and dads to choose.

Rick:

Man, no doubt about it.  No doubt about it.

That sounds like in part the reason we wanted to chat with you today is a lot of people are looking at and considering how can I be involved?  How can I make more of a difference?

Training Youth Through Patriot Academy

We do a do a Youth Leadership Program called Patriot Academy and we bring interns into WallBuilders and over at Mercury One.  And so we’re really really working on raising up a generation that will go out and get involved in public service and so we wanted to talk a little bit about how that works.

I mean, first of all, how do you govern principally?  And that’s what it sounds like to me. You’re saying instead of governing based on party affiliation even though that’s important, you’ve got to be involved in parties.  They play an important role. But instead of governing based on that, you govern based on a set of principles and say, “I’m going to make my decisions on public policy based on those principles regardless of the political effect or impact.”

Josh Mandel:
Exactly. And then when you use the Constitution as your guide and use Biblical values as your guide, the answer is usually pretty clear.

Let the Constitution be Your Guide

Rick:
And you’ve now been in it long enough. I mean, what do you see nationally? When you ran for the U.S. Senate a few years ago and just narrowly lost in that race, you kind of got on the national scene.

You’ve had the chance to get to know a lot of people that have moved up in the political realm. Are you seeing more folks get into that arena and actually serve? I mean, you’re a statewide elected official with saying, “I’m going to govern and have governed on principles.”

Are you seeing more of that nationally?   Do you have some hope that you’re not alone up there?

How People Can Make a Difference

Josh Mandel:
I do. I do have hope. I’m cautiously optimistic there’ll be more and more people with core values who are choosing to stand in the gap and get involved in the fight. But listen, it doesn’t just mean running for office. I mean, folks who are courageous conservatives who have backbone and principle. Your listeners know they can make an impact if not running for office. They can go volunteer their time.

You know they can go help others who are running for office. They can get involved through their house of worship or through organizations that are advocating for a strong country based and grounded in Judeo-Christian values.

You don’t have to have your name on the ballot. People can make an impact in different ways.  I’m optimistic because I see more and more young people with those values stepping up in a variety of ways.

Rick:

Yeah, I think that’s the key to is that next generation stepping up and being involved. I’m so glad you said that though, because sometimes we do think, “Well I’m not a congressman or I’m not a statewide elected official or even a legislator or even city council. I can’t make a difference.”

But in fact, it takes a lot of people being involved.  Everybody’s got a role. Most people can’t take the time to go run for office but they can donate. They can go put out signs.  They can stand at the polls.  They can have a Constitution Class at their church or they’re you know wherever they are and that’s as important a role as anything really getting people educated about that Constitution you were talking about.

Values Have Been Stripped Out of the School Curriculum

Josh Mandel:
Exactly. We need to really focus on that next generation one of the unfortunate things and you look at a lot of schools in this country. Unfortunately, a lot of the schools have stripped a lot of these values and these principles out of the curriculum. And we’ve got to we’ve got to get back to the basics. And in my mind, we should not be watering down on our Judeo-Christian values. We should be doubling down on our Judeo-Christian values.

Rick:

It’s good.  It’s it’s key. I mean, it really is the foundation of who we are and without those values, you end up with the lack of morals.  You lose the morals you don’t get the liberty. It has a snowball effect. And so you’re a hundred percent right.

So now you’ve served– you’re in your second term as Treasurer.  Is that right?

Josh Mandel Running for Senate

Josh Mandel:

I am. I was re-elected by double digits a couple of years ago and now I’m running for the United States Senate. We’re going to go retire a very liberal Democrat named Sherrod Brown here in Ohio and bring some more conservative values to the Senate.

Rick:

And that’s a 2018 election year primary in Ohio.  When does that happen?

Josh Mandel:

May. May. So this election will be next year 2018. We’re just getting off the ground.  If any of your listeners wanted to learn more about me they can go on our website.  It’s pretty simple. It’s JoshMandel.com. All one word. And they can learn about me, what I stand for, and get involved.

Rick:
JoshMandel.com. Josh, last since the last time we talked you’ve had three kids. Man, you’ve been busy.

Father of Three

Josh Mandel:

Thank God.  We are blessed.  We have Rosie is 4 years old, Jude who’s 2 years old, and Gideon who’s one year old. And actually, this past weekend my wife had to fly across the country for a wedding. And so I hung back here in the Cleveland area with the kids and we miss their mommy but we had a great time together. It’s the most important thing I do every day. Being a dad.

Rick:

Love it. Love it, man. Well, you give courage to our listeners. We always like highlighting folks across the country that are serving based on principles. David considers you a good friend and we’ve just been following what you’re doing and wanted to let our folks know about you as well.

JoshMandel.com.  They can learn more and just keep us updated, man.  Let’s get you back. soon.

Josh Mandel:

I will.  Thanks so much.

Rick:

Stay with us, folks. Be right back. David and Tim Barton.

Constitution Alive

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the United States Constitution but just felt like, man, the classes are boring or it’s just that old language from 200 years ago or I don’t know where to start? People want to know. But it gets frustrating because you don’t know where to look for truth about the Constitution either.

Well, we’ve got a special program for you available now called Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. It’s actually a teaching done on the Constitution at Independence Hall in the very room where the Constitution was framed. We take you both to Philadelphia, the Cradle of Liberty and Independence Hall and to the WallBuilders”€™ library where David Barton brings the history to life to teach the original intent of our Founding Fathers.

We call it the QuickStart guide to the Constitution because in just a few hours through these videos you will learn the Citizen’s Guide to America’s Constitution.  You’ll learn what you need to do to help save our Constitutional Republic. It’s fun! It’s entertaining! And it’s going to inspire you to do your part to preserve freedom for future generations. It’s called Constitution Alive with David Barton and Rick Green. You can find out more information on our website now at WallBuilders.com.

Rick:
We’re back with WallBuilders Live. Thanks for staying with us. Thanks, Josh Mandel for his time today joining us as well.

Back with David and Tim and guys, it sounds like his decision matrix if you will, how he comes to his decisions even on some of those tough issues is reminiscent of our Founding Fathers’ decision matrix as well.

It’s what we’ve been looking for in some of these guys.

Ethics, Core Values in Office

David:

I thought it was interesting that you started talking about ethics and office and he changed from ethics to core values.

Rick

Yeah.

David:

I thought, “Now that’s an interesting answer. That’s a really good change.” It’s a subtle thing but it says a whole lot.

And then he made the comment, he said,   “You know when you use Biblical values as your guide and use the Constitution as your guide the answers are usually easy enough.

Yeah. Bingo.

Tim:

That’s what we’ve been saying for a few years.

David:

That’s right.

Tim:

It’s not that complicated if you study the Constitution and read the Bible but it’s unusual to hear that from a politician.

David:
And it’s good that it’s from this politician because I do think he’s on the rise. I do think we have a chance of seeing him nationally. So a great guy.

Anybody who wants to give to his campaign he gave you the website if you want to throw some money in that. I think this is sowing seeds in good ground. It’s not an unknown guy. He’s been in for a number of years.  As Rick, as you pointed out 10 years ago he was fighting for religious liberties back at that point in time.

So he’s a good guy with a good record. And Rick, you were talking about the fact that you could even have a Constitution Class at your church.

Constitution Class in Your Church

And I know that kind of sounds to a lot of people like, No, no, no, no. You teach the Bible at church, you don’t teach the Constitution in church. But there really is a connection between those two. And we found it really interesting that so many churches are now starting to teach the Constitution as a course at the church.

Tim:

Not only for Sunday School classes some of them are doing just a special night of the week getting people to come in and they play the videos.

They have discussions. Then they get active.  Right?  So they watch the videos and go, “Wait a minute. We’ve gone this far away from the Constitution. I want to do something about it.”

So then they start doing voter guides.  They start getting involved.  They start having a Salt and Light Ministry.  I mean, it’s been pretty cool to see what’s happened with it.

David:

You and I did that course Constitutional Alive which is a course on the Constitution. A lot of churches have shown that. But I’ve been really pleased with when you go into speak in areas how many churches are asking you to come in and teach a Constitution Seminar at the church.  You’d expect that from a political group or from some conservative activist group. But I’ve been really pleased with how many churches have asked you to teach constitutional seminars. I think that’s a great sign. It’s a great thing for the future.

Rick:
And I love finding out a lot of people have sort of a gut reaction to when they find out the Biblical foundations of our country.  They’re going, “OK, I knew somewhere in my heart that had to be true. But I’ve just been bombarded with the other message for so long in education, in the media.  Everybody saying anti-Christian and all that for America’s founding.”
So when they start getting that connection, they start seeing the actual Biblical foundations that made our Constitution unique in the history of the world. And then they see what that produced in the country. It’s like confirmation because in their heart they knew that had to be true but they didn’t have the evidence.  So it’s really good to equip them with that.

Constitution Based On Godly Principles

Tim:

Well, that’s one of the fun things that I got to see firsthand the summer doing our leadership training program.  As we would go through and read some of the Founders writings, read some of their letters, or read some of their speeches and there’d be phrases throughout it that certainly should have seemed significant, seemed noticeable.  And as the kids say to them, I know where that phrase came from, a thought came from, or what that sentence is about. And a few of the kids would go, “I think it’s a Bible verse.”

Then I’d say, “Well, why don’t we look it up.  Let’s see.” And then look up the Bible verse and go, “Oh my gosh!  It is from the Bible and we would talk about how the Bible influences so much of what they did.”

But then even when we look at the Constitution and talk about why do we have the things we have in the Constitution. I remember one morning as we were reading some of the Bible and in this leadership training, I guess programming is what we’re calling it. But as we were doing this with these college students there was a kid who is arguably one of if not the brightest kid this summer and we were reading from Isaiah where it talks about that the Lord is our king.  The Lord is our law giver.  The Lord is our judge. And as we read that everybody in the class kind of stopped and looked up like, Oh my gosh! Those are the three branches of government.

But this kid looked up and says, “I had no idea that some of these thoughts came from like that,”– and very smart kid. I mean very bright, very sharp young man. And he said, “I had no idea that these things came from the Bible but it makes so much sense.”

And it was so cool to see the connection that is there.  Seeing these sayings from the Bible, seeing them in the Founders’ writings, seeing them applied in the Constitution.  And they’re going, “I get it.  I get the recipe. I get it.  It makes sense.”

But it was so fun to see that next generation. And even as we’re talking now about Josh and these elected officials when they make those connections and it helps what they do to be more successful. Well, it’s because God’s ways work.  It is what we’ve done historically but it certainly there are things that can be applied once again to make a difference going forward.

Rick:

And they haven’t thought so much about God’s ways working in government because they’ve been taught for so long that there’s some separation there. So they kind of know, “OK in my relationship with my spouse or with my kids and maybe with work. But man, when you come in and show them, “Hey look at how God’s ways work well in government and society and as a culture.” It’s like boom, the light bulb comes on.  They go, “Oh OK. Now I know and how to be plugged in here.”

David:

If anyone’s interested, that Constitution Alive is a course that we’ve got that’s available that can easily point all this stuff out. But it is good to have leaders who are already in office who understand that when you go with the Constitution and the Bible you’re going to get the answers right. And that’s the kind of person that really is going to be fun to add to the mix in federal government, especially the U.S. Senate which is where I would argue that we need the most help is in the U.S. Senate.

And Josh will be a great guy if we can get him  there

Rick:

And let’s start looking for more like that on a local level, state level, the federal level.

Listen, folks, you’ve been listening to WallBuilders Live.