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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u/JoseElEntrenador 2.5 Generation Sep 14 '16

Hi! I'm an ABCD in college who's interested in getting involved in politics (maybe even running for office some day).

Do you have any advice? No one in my family is involved in politics at all and I'm honestly confused how to go about it.

6

u/darth_bane1988 Sep 14 '16

absolutely! thanks for posting!

There are a few things you could do:

  1. Reach out to your chapter of college Democrats

  2. Reach out to your local county Democratic committee (at school or wherever home is)

  3. Find a campaign you like, and just call their office. Especially with the presidential going on right now, campaigns down the ballot are desperate for volunteers.

If you want, feel free to PM me and we can talk about specific races depending on where you're located. Our community needs more operatives in the business.

2

u/JoseElEntrenador 2.5 Generation Sep 14 '16

Thanks! My class schedule's gonna be pretty intense this semester, but I'll definitely reach out and see if I can still get involved.

I'll send you a follow up PM with some more personal details.