A Republic, If You Can Keep It
Sep 25, 2026 · 49 min · 13 segments
### On our radar this week… “Degenerates and Losers” – That’s Trump’s description of MS NOW after the network reported the administration is considering adding Trump’s name to Ford’s Theatre, the…
Miles ColemanGuest
Jeff TimmerHost
Mark BrewerHostDavid Hollister is a name unknown to most of the people of this state, but was one of those leaders whose impact far exceeded that public recognition.
He was a remarkable leader with a total dedication throughout his life to service.
That continued even after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 26 years ago, which slowly drained his ability to speak.
Had it not been for a mistake by the administration of the Durand School District in Shiawassee County, things might have been different.
Dave's first job after graduating from MSU was teaching history at Durand High School.
They're very racist.
Their attitudes are very racist.
And I decided to challenge them, and I invited an African-American leader to come into the classroom.
And I disrupted the school and the operation the day it happened.
The consequence was that the administration adopted a policy of submitting election year lesson plans a week ahead of time for approval, and I refused to do it.
During that time, he met Martin Luther King Jr. and immediately volunteered to help King's campaign for racial justice.
His students were among those convincing him to run for county commissioner.
When elected on a campaign that spent $79, he was one of just two Democrats on the 21-member commission.
He defeated an incumbent Democrat in the primary to win his House seat, spending 18 years in the Statehouse, tackling some of the toughest possible issues.
Fair housing, social services appropriations, open meetings, freedom of information, the right to die with dignity.
He asked me, now, do you really want this? Because if you take this position, you will never...
the governor of the state, or you will never rise above the spot you're in now.
Because I'm going to ask you to change the welfare budget.
And that is only gets clobbered every, every year.
And the Republican Party had used it as a vehicle of anti-abortion.
I mean, it was just every minefield that you can imagine was hidden away in the Social Services budget because it dealt with policy issues, racial issues.
It was just every year it was in a fight.
David Hollister is a name unknown to most of the people of this state, but was one of those leaders whose impact far exceeded that public recognition.
He was a remarkable leader with a total dedication throughout his life to service.
That continued even after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 26 years ago, which slowly drained his ability to speak.
Had it not been for a mistake by the administration of the Durand School District in Shiawassee County, things might have been different.
Dave's first job after graduating from MSU was teaching history at Durand High School.
They're very racist.
Their attitudes are very racist.
And I decided to challenge them, and I invited an African-American leader to come into the classroom.
And I disrupted the school and the operation the day it happened.
The consequence was that the administration adopted a policy of submitting election year lesson plans a week ahead of time for approval, and I refused to do it.
During that time, he met Martin Luther King Jr. and immediately volunteered to help King's campaign for racial justice.
His students were among those convincing him to run for county commissioner.
When elected on a campaign that spent $79, he was one of just two Democrats on the 21-member commission.
He defeated an incumbent Democrat in the primary to win his House seat, spending 18 years in the Statehouse, tackling some of the toughest possible issues.
Fair housing, social services appropriations, open meetings, freedom of information, the right to die with dignity.
He asked me, now, do you really want this? Because if you take this position, you will never...
the governor of the state, or you will never rise above the spot you're in now.
Because I'm going to ask you to change the welfare budget.
And that is only gets clobbered every, every year.
And the Republican Party had used it as a vehicle of anti-abortion.
I mean, it was just every minefield that you can imagine was hidden away in the Social Services budget because it dealt with policy issues, racial issues.
It was just every year it was in a fight.
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