Stephen R Marks is the author of “Braxton’s Turn: Watch Out Washington.” He started writing it in 2012 and as a busy businessman running a company, he had little time to devote to the manuscript until he retired in early 2020. His company helped raise money for research and he was asked to join the JDRF Los Angeles Board of Directors in 2011. That experience exposed him to the work of advocacy groups, parents, and the medical research community in pursuit of a cure for type 1 diabetes. Yet despite millions of dollars raised through charitable giving combined with large annual research grants from the U.S. Congress, there was still no cure and no preventions in hand or on the horizon. In 2012 he got the idea for a story about how the right man, in the right place, at the right time could lead the efforts that would result in the cure. That developed into the story of Jonathon ‘JB’ Braxton; a story filled with comedy and quirky characters in addition to serious discussion of life with type 1 diabetes and other social commentary. Hopefully, it will be a source of hope and inspiration to those in the diabetes community and to those who desire our country to have better people seeking public office. (Stephen R. Marks, 2023)
“Braxton’s Turn: Watch Out Washington” – In the spring of 2012, an unlikely transformational figure inadvertently breaches the perimeter of U.S politics. Unencumbered by political ambition and devoid of greed or lust for power, Jonathon Braxton reluctantly enters the arena. Fueled solely by a desire to advocate for more medical research funding to find a cure for type 1 diabetes afflicting his son, Braxton agrees to speak at the 2012 Republican National Convention courtesy of two influential power brokers who see ‘JB‘ as the future of the party. Lance Reibus, the Republican National Committee chairman, is pressured by two important power brokers, Carlton and Cornelius Hale, into giving Braxton a prime time speaking slot with the intent to showcase Braxton to the party and to the country. Braxton is aware of their motives but does not care as he sees this as an opportunity to advocate for his cause and one that cannot be passed up despite his disdain for politics.
Braxton’s passionate speech advocating for increased funding for stem cell research catapults him into the political limelight and launches his political career and a journey that leads him to the U.S. Congress and the height of U.S. political power. Along the way he remodels Washington DC political norms and cable TV opinion shows as he becomes a regular on Wallis Kriss’ Big News Sunday show. Braxton’s monthly Sunday morning appearances with Kriss become must watch TV for much of the country and serve to reshape the U.S. political landscape.
As the 2016 presidential election comes into view, Braxton finds himself in the orbit of the Democrat front-runner, and current Secretary of State, Heather Carrington. The Republican Braxton intrigues Carrington and they form a bond as Carrington faces uncertainties about her desire to be president and Braxton strives to navigate the halls of Congress in pursuit of his agenda. On the cusp of the election, a series of events bring Braxton and Carrington closer together and lead to a surprising conclusion as Braxton brings both the Democrat and Republican parties to the brink of extinction.
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