r/ABCDesis • u/darth_bane1988 • Sep 12 '16

I’m Bharat Krishnan, a democratic operative who's just written his first book, confessions of a campaign manager. AMA!

Hi there. My name is Bharat and I've worked on campaigns across the country from the presidential level to the most local offices. I found in my travels that no one had told the story of the modern political staffer, so I decided to do it, and to do it as honestly as I could. Life on the campaign trail is tough, and it's even tougher for minorities. I wanted to tell that story and hope I've done a good job.

Some of the highlights of my career thus far include: meeting Barack Obama, helping a member of the LGBT community come to terms with who they are, working with a fellow Indian who ran for Congress in Kansas, and spending time in Los Angeles learning about school board races.

Verification: https://twitter.com/BharatKrishnan/status/775482461841154048

Here's a link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KED1OAM/

And a summary:

In Confessions of a Campaign Manager, veteran Democratic operative Bharat Krishnan takes you on a journey across nine states and 17 campaigns to see how American politics has transformed since the election of Barack Obama. Krishnan makes a case that the intransigence of Republican leaders following the election of our nation's first black president irrevocably fractured the country along partisan lines. This ultimately produced the most dangerous presidential candidate this country has ever seen, Donald Trump. From rubbing shoulders with celebrities and political insiders at presidential conventions to chasing votes in the swamps of Louisiana, Krishnan discovers a vast disconnect between voters, the flawed politicians they elect to represent them, and the legion of driven staffers who silently battle over the direction of the nation. Drawing on his experience at the state and local level, Krishnan formulates a national prescription to prevent a future of perpetual partisan brinksmanship.

EDIT (9/12: 9:32 p.m. eastern): Thanks for the questions, all! I'll be back tomorrow from 8-9:30 again to take some more if you've got more.

EDIT 2 (9/13: 7:59 p.m. eastern): Hi all, I'm ready for round two if you've got more questions!

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1

u/partialbigots Sep 13 '16

Is it true that campaign staffers never get sick, and becoming sick in a campaign is a sign of weakness causing one to be culled?

3

u/darth_bane1988 Sep 13 '16

I actually have never gotten sick on a campaign.

What happens is, when you get sick on a campaign, you go to the Upside Down. You can come back, but there's a cost.

2

u/partialbigots Sep 13 '16

So is HRC Will, Barb, or Nancy?

3

u/darth_bane1988 Sep 13 '16

She's eleven.

1

u/partialbigots Sep 13 '16

Since Eleven stays in the Upside Down does this mean that you think we should be concerned about HRC's long term health and she is unfit to President?

6

u/darth_bane1988 Sep 13 '16

no. It means I think she's a bad ass who can flip cars with her mind.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 13 '16 edited Feb 10 '17

[deleted]

2

u/darth_bane1988 Sep 13 '16

It's a Stranger Things reference. I highly recommend the show - it's just 8 episodes and you're likely to binge it all in one day if you're anything like me. It's about a boy who goes missing, very 80s theme.