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Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns that Put Donald Trump in the White House
From Donna Brazile, former DNC chair and legendary political operative, an explosive and revealing new look at the 2016 election: the first insider account of the Russian hacking of the DNC and the missteps by the Clinton campaign and Obama administration that enabled a Trump victory.
In the fallout of the Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee--and as chaos threatened to consume the party's convention--Democrats turned to a familiar figure to right the ship: Donna Brazile. Known to millions from her frequent TV appearances, she was no stranger to high stakes and dirty opponents, and the longtime Democratic strategist had a reputation in Washington as a one-stop shop for fixing sticky problems.
What Brazile found at the DNC was unlike anything she had experienced before--and much worse than is commonly known. The party was beset by infighting, scandal, and hubris, while reeling from a brazen and wholly unprecedented attempt by a foreign power to influence the presidential election. Plus, its candidate, Hillary Clinton, faced an opponent who broke every rule in the political playbook.
Packed with never-before-reported revelations about what went down in 2016, Hacks is equal parts campaign thriller, memoir, and roadmap for the future. With Democrats now in the wilderness after this historic defeat, Hacks argues that staying silent about what went wrong helps no one. Only by laying bare the missteps, miscalculations, and crimes of 2016, Brazile contends, will Americans be able to salvage their democracy.
In the fallout of the Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee--and as chaos threatened to consume the party's convention--Democrats turned to a familiar figure to right the ship: Donna Brazile. Known to millions from her frequent TV appearances, she was no stranger to high stakes and dirty opponents, and the longtime Democratic strategist had a reputation in Washington as a one-stop shop for fixing sticky problems.
What Brazile found at the DNC was unlike anything she had experienced before--and much worse than is commonly known. The party was beset by infighting, scandal, and hubris, while reeling from a brazen and wholly unprecedented attempt by a foreign power to influence the presidential election. Plus, its candidate, Hillary Clinton, faced an opponent who broke every rule in the political playbook.
Packed with never-before-reported revelations about what went down in 2016, Hacks is equal parts campaign thriller, memoir, and roadmap for the future. With Democrats now in the wilderness after this historic defeat, Hacks argues that staying silent about what went wrong helps no one. Only by laying bare the missteps, miscalculations, and crimes of 2016, Brazile contends, will Americans be able to salvage their democracy.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2017
About the author
Donna Brazile
5 books43 followersDonna Brazile is an American author, educator, and political activist and strategist affiliated with the Democratic Party. She was the first African-American to direct a major presidential campaign.
Brazile was born in Kenner, Louisiana to Lionel and Jean Brazile, the third of nine children. She became interested in politics at age nine when a local candidate for office promised to build a neighborhood playground. After graduating from LSU, Brazile worked for several advocacy groups in Washington, D.C., and was instrumental in the successful campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday.
Brazile was born in Kenner, Louisiana to Lionel and Jean Brazile, the third of nine children. She became interested in politics at age nine when a local candidate for office promised to build a neighborhood playground. After graduating from LSU, Brazile worked for several advocacy groups in Washington, D.C., and was instrumental in the successful campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
November 6, 2023
I said I wasn't going to review this book. I meant that. But the Epilogue has a phrase in it that I believe we all need to hear. Page 234:
I'm pretty much firmly rooted in the "nope, I'm holding a grudge against you shitholes for doing this to the rest of us" camp. But Brazile's question is a good one to consider our answer to, and a very good one to ponder the implications of.
The primary appeal of this book is the clarity and completeness of Brazile's insider account of dealing with the fallout from the DNC hacking. The primary lack of appeal for me was Brazile's use of flyover-country code "Brooklyn" for HRC's campaign...it means "New York Jews" in heartland political circles.
I didn't start this book liking Ms. Brazile and I finished it still not liking her.
This election...broke all the rules and destroyed all the traditions of civility—but after a firestorm what comes up first is hearty and strong. As a country we are back down to the fundamental questions: Who are we? What do we value? Can we find a way to trust again and not just seeing each other as partisan enemies? Can we remember that we have more in common as Americans than the issues that divide us?
I'm pretty much firmly rooted in the "nope, I'm holding a grudge against you shitholes for doing this to the rest of us" camp. But Brazile's question is a good one to consider our answer to, and a very good one to ponder the implications of.
The primary appeal of this book is the clarity and completeness of Brazile's insider account of dealing with the fallout from the DNC hacking. The primary lack of appeal for me was Brazile's use of flyover-country code "Brooklyn" for HRC's campaign...it means "New York Jews" in heartland political circles.
I didn't start this book liking Ms. Brazile and I finished it still not liking her.
April 19, 2023
Drawing up the curtain Donna Brazile takes us backstage as the DNC tries to regain election equilibrium even as Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigns. The events that unfold have Donna Brazile putting out fires - even as she stands in a pool of gasoline. The main take away from this book is that elections have changed - from now on - and any party that fails to understand this simple concept will face harsh lessons in the future.
February 9, 2018
Someone asked me a question about Donna Brazile and I suddenly realized that I haven't read her book yet, although I had it for a while. So it was time to meet an amazing woman in politics on her terms.
I'm not going into the details of the book since it received so many reviews already and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for quite a while. So many interviews went down with Ms. Brazile about her controversial book.
According to the author this was her version of what happened and she did not keep it light and playful in recalling the events of the 2016 election year. There was a lot she did not say in the book, and other times she was a straight shooter, especially when her alter-ego, Dolores kicked in. She made me cringe and laugh with her comments on The Trump and his shenanigans, which had everybody's horses turning back and rewriting the rules of the rodeo. She was frustrated with the Millennials in the election team, who treated her like an ancient relic from the past. She addressed the issues the DNC had to deal with and her own role in the events.
I don't know Donna Brazile, but I can imagine that if Napoleon was a women, his name would be Donna Brazile. A small person with a big dream, and she knew where she wanted to go with it. A lonely person in her private life, but much respected in public office. A genuine, warm-hearted person with a refreshing sense of humor. I would love to be her friend, honestly.
I was surprise to see how people blamed her for feeding DT the fodder to continue his attacks on the DEMS by writing this book. According to the angry DEMS she accused HC of rigging the election. It is never said in the book as such, but when she was confronted by the angry DEMS in interviews she acknowledged that her tale could be interpreted as such. But reading the book, one can understand what she was trying to say. Hillary Clinton did not want to give money to the DNC to save them from bankruptcy if she was not allowed to control the spending. Being in a corner, the DNC had no other choice but to accept Hillary's terms.
That resulted in the DNC itself being left out in the cold as far as decision-making was concerned. Bernie lost out on the bounty, sort of. She also implied between the lines that Bernie was short-changed, but that he was not really a Democrat, did not rise through the rank and file and was rejected as a candidate for that reason. They found ways and means to leave him out in the cold and she objected to that. She wanted fairness for everyone. Their actions against Bernie, according to Donna, counted against them in the elections.
Then there was the Russians hacking the DNC servers, computers, phones, etc. And WikiLeaks, DCLeaks, and Guccifer. She spent a lot of time in explaining how it was done and how it disrupted the Democratic party's performance. This is confirmed in other books.
There were comments in the book which I do not agree with, but also do not want to discuss here at lenght. Just a few short comments.
1) She alleged that information is lost when a computer is disconnected from a server. I have never heard of that.
2) She listened to The Trump's sleazy locker room talk and said she never heard any other man say things like that about women. My dear Donna, no, you either lie, or you're extraordinary naive or inexperienced.
I never got the impression that she was bad-mouthing anyone in the DNC camp(directly). Donald Trump was not so lucky! :-))
She just told her story of what happened on her side of the fence in a candid and engaging manner. She was not malicious, bore no grudges, and did not intent to harm anyone. But once again, between the lines, she indicated that Hillary was responsible for her own messes.
Donna just told her story, and by doing that she lightened up my life for a few hours. I was saddened by the harsh criticism thrown at her by her own party members. Perhaps I am just as naive as Donna, but I did not get the same impression from the book as they did.
I'm not going into the details of the book since it received so many reviews already and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for quite a while. So many interviews went down with Ms. Brazile about her controversial book.
According to the author this was her version of what happened and she did not keep it light and playful in recalling the events of the 2016 election year. There was a lot she did not say in the book, and other times she was a straight shooter, especially when her alter-ego, Dolores kicked in. She made me cringe and laugh with her comments on The Trump and his shenanigans, which had everybody's horses turning back and rewriting the rules of the rodeo. She was frustrated with the Millennials in the election team, who treated her like an ancient relic from the past. She addressed the issues the DNC had to deal with and her own role in the events.
I don't know Donna Brazile, but I can imagine that if Napoleon was a women, his name would be Donna Brazile. A small person with a big dream, and she knew where she wanted to go with it. A lonely person in her private life, but much respected in public office. A genuine, warm-hearted person with a refreshing sense of humor. I would love to be her friend, honestly.
I was surprise to see how people blamed her for feeding DT the fodder to continue his attacks on the DEMS by writing this book. According to the angry DEMS she accused HC of rigging the election. It is never said in the book as such, but when she was confronted by the angry DEMS in interviews she acknowledged that her tale could be interpreted as such. But reading the book, one can understand what she was trying to say. Hillary Clinton did not want to give money to the DNC to save them from bankruptcy if she was not allowed to control the spending. Being in a corner, the DNC had no other choice but to accept Hillary's terms.
That resulted in the DNC itself being left out in the cold as far as decision-making was concerned. Bernie lost out on the bounty, sort of. She also implied between the lines that Bernie was short-changed, but that he was not really a Democrat, did not rise through the rank and file and was rejected as a candidate for that reason. They found ways and means to leave him out in the cold and she objected to that. She wanted fairness for everyone. Their actions against Bernie, according to Donna, counted against them in the elections.
Then there was the Russians hacking the DNC servers, computers, phones, etc. And WikiLeaks, DCLeaks, and Guccifer. She spent a lot of time in explaining how it was done and how it disrupted the Democratic party's performance. This is confirmed in other books.
There were comments in the book which I do not agree with, but also do not want to discuss here at lenght. Just a few short comments.
1) She alleged that information is lost when a computer is disconnected from a server. I have never heard of that.
2) She listened to The Trump's sleazy locker room talk and said she never heard any other man say things like that about women. My dear Donna, no, you either lie, or you're extraordinary naive or inexperienced.
I never got the impression that she was bad-mouthing anyone in the DNC camp(directly). Donald Trump was not so lucky! :-))
She just told her story of what happened on her side of the fence in a candid and engaging manner. She was not malicious, bore no grudges, and did not intent to harm anyone. But once again, between the lines, she indicated that Hillary was responsible for her own messes.
Donna just told her story, and by doing that she lightened up my life for a few hours. I was saddened by the harsh criticism thrown at her by her own party members. Perhaps I am just as naive as Donna, but I did not get the same impression from the book as they did.
I've worked for four decades in the trenches for the Democratic Party and its candidates. This election reminded me, however, that as much as I love my party, I love my country more...This is the memoir of a strong, but gentle, amazing person. A great experience.
... Forty years in politics gave me a contact list and a perspective that went below the surface, deep into the places where the media could not see. In that world, information is a form of currency, and we all trade it back and forth all the time
April 28, 2018
The double entendre in the title promises some witty insight, but it's all downhill from there.
There's way too much info about Donna Brazile and her dog, and her favorite colors and foods and whatever. The juiciest computer hack is about her giving debate questions unfairly to Hillary, but she turns that into a self-pity-party, and thinks we should believe she's innocent despite the evidence because she cannot prove she is (huh?).
So why even give the book 2*? Because you can learn something from looking at a plane crash, and admit it, wrecks are fascinating. "Hacks" is a (largely unwitting) document of what's wrong with the Democratic Party and American politics in general.
Brazile describes in detail how Hillary Clinton took over the Democratic Party and not just influenced it but micromanaged it during the primaries. Brazile gets that this was unambiguously unethical, but somehow doesn't think that it had any effect on anything. (Huh?)
The lack of believable accountability or of vigilance for democracy is sad if unsurprising.
All that seems to matter to all these political hacks is manipulating perceptions and winning. Except that they lost.
A recent book (How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future) puts its faith in the parties for saving American democracy. Reading "Hacks" reveals the absurdity of that premise.
There's way too much info about Donna Brazile and her dog, and her favorite colors and foods and whatever. The juiciest computer hack is about her giving debate questions unfairly to Hillary, but she turns that into a self-pity-party, and thinks we should believe she's innocent despite the evidence because she cannot prove she is (huh?).
So why even give the book 2*? Because you can learn something from looking at a plane crash, and admit it, wrecks are fascinating. "Hacks" is a (largely unwitting) document of what's wrong with the Democratic Party and American politics in general.
Brazile describes in detail how Hillary Clinton took over the Democratic Party and not just influenced it but micromanaged it during the primaries. Brazile gets that this was unambiguously unethical, but somehow doesn't think that it had any effect on anything. (Huh?)
The lack of believable accountability or of vigilance for democracy is sad if unsurprising.
All that seems to matter to all these political hacks is manipulating perceptions and winning. Except that they lost.
A recent book (How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future) puts its faith in the parties for saving American democracy. Reading "Hacks" reveals the absurdity of that premise.
November 7, 2017
Whenever a nation stands at a crossroads, it is easy to believe that this one is somehow more meaningful or challenging than those we stood at before. Seldom in our history, however, have we stood at so many crossroads all at one time. Globalism, immigration, economic inequity, the threat of nuclear war, racial injustice, the treatment of women, sexual identity rights, gun control, and, of course, the recent horrors rained down on innocent people just going about their lives, all seem to have come together in a perfect storm of fear, agony, and disillusionment.
There is little that our national leaders can say at this juncture that will not be both praised and pilloried by the opposing camps. And this book, one can assume, will suffer a similar fate. It will be extolled by some and vilified by others. It is no wonder, as a result, that those authors of the familiarity and prominence of Donna Brazile might be inclined to parse their words, hedge their opinions for maximum effectiveness among their core supporters, and generally posture their prose to burnish their own image.
That is not, however, what Donna Brazile has done here. This is a candid, no-punch-pulled eyewitness account of the 2016 election and the events surrounding it from one of the main players in the drama. Brazile shares stories that only she could share and she does so in a refreshingly matter of fact way that seems to suggest, to her credit, that her driving and overriding objective is to help the Democratic Party and the country move on.
This is by far the most detailed account of the election that I have found. And that, in part, is the book’s only limitation. It reads, at times, more like a transcript than a thoughtful review. That is undoubtedly by design and does give the book a raw authenticity. I for one, however, would like to know more about Brazile’s take on what it all means at the conceptual level. There is some of that, but not enough.
Brazile does give the reader a much more thorough understanding of the hacking of the DNC. And her account is alarming, to say the least. In the end, moreover, she provides the most concise assessment of what the Russians did that I have seen or heard: “The Russians may not have changed the totals in the voting machines, but they confused us, inflamed our doubts and our worst impulses, and destabilized the Democratic Party, making it an unfair fight.” Thoughtfully stated and frightening, indeed.
She also exposes the horrifying degree to which she and others quite understandably feared for their personal safety. It is indeed hard to imagine that any among us are capable of such moral and ethical bankruptcy. Hard to fathom, of course, until we open today’s newspaper.
I was anxiously looking for Brazile to cast her lot between the competing theories that the Democrats need to re-capture the center or electrify the emerging progressive wing of the party. I, for one, believe when standing at the entrance to so many crossroads, now is not the time to get stuck in the intersection. And, I suspect, that Brazile would agree. There are whiffs of the sentiment but in the end this really is a book about the 2016 election.
Whichever course we pursue as a country going forward, we will need leaders of courage, candor, and a sense of our common humanity. And I think Brazile, however inclined you are to be offended or excited by her courageous and candid revelations here, has certainly shown herself to be worthy of a seat at the table of change.
There is little that our national leaders can say at this juncture that will not be both praised and pilloried by the opposing camps. And this book, one can assume, will suffer a similar fate. It will be extolled by some and vilified by others. It is no wonder, as a result, that those authors of the familiarity and prominence of Donna Brazile might be inclined to parse their words, hedge their opinions for maximum effectiveness among their core supporters, and generally posture their prose to burnish their own image.
That is not, however, what Donna Brazile has done here. This is a candid, no-punch-pulled eyewitness account of the 2016 election and the events surrounding it from one of the main players in the drama. Brazile shares stories that only she could share and she does so in a refreshingly matter of fact way that seems to suggest, to her credit, that her driving and overriding objective is to help the Democratic Party and the country move on.
This is by far the most detailed account of the election that I have found. And that, in part, is the book’s only limitation. It reads, at times, more like a transcript than a thoughtful review. That is undoubtedly by design and does give the book a raw authenticity. I for one, however, would like to know more about Brazile’s take on what it all means at the conceptual level. There is some of that, but not enough.
Brazile does give the reader a much more thorough understanding of the hacking of the DNC. And her account is alarming, to say the least. In the end, moreover, she provides the most concise assessment of what the Russians did that I have seen or heard: “The Russians may not have changed the totals in the voting machines, but they confused us, inflamed our doubts and our worst impulses, and destabilized the Democratic Party, making it an unfair fight.” Thoughtfully stated and frightening, indeed.
She also exposes the horrifying degree to which she and others quite understandably feared for their personal safety. It is indeed hard to imagine that any among us are capable of such moral and ethical bankruptcy. Hard to fathom, of course, until we open today’s newspaper.
I was anxiously looking for Brazile to cast her lot between the competing theories that the Democrats need to re-capture the center or electrify the emerging progressive wing of the party. I, for one, believe when standing at the entrance to so many crossroads, now is not the time to get stuck in the intersection. And, I suspect, that Brazile would agree. There are whiffs of the sentiment but in the end this really is a book about the 2016 election.
Whichever course we pursue as a country going forward, we will need leaders of courage, candor, and a sense of our common humanity. And I think Brazile, however inclined you are to be offended or excited by her courageous and candid revelations here, has certainly shown herself to be worthy of a seat at the table of change.
November 11, 2017
Please, no political discussion, especially not on the debate leaks nor on Trump-Clinton generally. I happen to believe the leaks happened, but Brazile makes a case for how it could have been another part of the DNC computer hack. The primary & campaign revelations from the book are already in the news--much of the rest of this book reads like a tech horror story.
The juiciest and most startling parts of Donna Brazile's story of helming the Democratic party during July-November of the 2016 election have been highlighted on commentary shows. This book left me with a positive impression of how Brazile approached a surprisingly little-money/little-power situation with hard work and political skill.
There is a great deal of discussion about the frustrations of trying to solve attacks on the DNC's server with which non-computer-scientists can sympathize.
The juiciest and most startling parts of Donna Brazile's story of helming the Democratic party during July-November of the 2016 election have been highlighted on commentary shows. This book left me with a positive impression of how Brazile approached a surprisingly little-money/little-power situation with hard work and political skill.
There is a great deal of discussion about the frustrations of trying to solve attacks on the DNC's server with which non-computer-scientists can sympathize.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
November 3, 2017Teaser excerpt on Politico, where knives are stuck into several important (or "formerly important") political figures.
Inside Hillary Clinton’s Secret Takeover of the DNC
Brazile has always struck me as very capable. I'm fairly confident that what she writes is what she wants believed, with quite a lot true, and quite a lot of the truth shaded. Definitely worth a trip with her into the 'wilderness of mirrors', though.
Inside Hillary Clinton’s Secret Takeover of the DNC
Brazile has always struck me as very capable. I'm fairly confident that what she writes is what she wants believed, with quite a lot true, and quite a lot of the truth shaded. Definitely worth a trip with her into the 'wilderness of mirrors', though.
November 8, 2017
Interresting
I''m a pretty strong conservative, but I found this to provide an insight into a presidential campaign. Ms. Brazile is certainly not objective but she shouldn't be expected to be. She treats Hillary very gently, but it seems to me that the candidate herself is responsible for that campaign. She also skips mention (unless I missed it) of Hillary's private server fiasco. I don't blame her; Hillary did a profoundly stupid thing, at best. A criminal thing. What could possibly be said in her defense?
I''m a pretty strong conservative, but I found this to provide an insight into a presidential campaign. Ms. Brazile is certainly not objective but she shouldn't be expected to be. She treats Hillary very gently, but it seems to me that the candidate herself is responsible for that campaign. She also skips mention (unless I missed it) of Hillary's private server fiasco. I don't blame her; Hillary did a profoundly stupid thing, at best. A criminal thing. What could possibly be said in her defense?
November 13, 2017
Donna Brazile needs to provide herself cover on what went wrong in the Hillary campaign and why it wasn’t her fault. Apparently she had absolutely no control over anything. Based on the book I don’t know what her job even was because nothing, absolutely nothing was her fault or under her control. She knew the entire time the campaign was failing but had no way to impact it. I found the book not very interesting or helpful in understanding what happened. And apparently she had no interactions with Hillary. The most informative bits were what was unsaid: She didn’t believe Hillary’s flu Story when Hillary fainted at the 9/11 ceremony and Seth Rich’s murder scared her.
November 21, 2017
So many problems with this past election. Overall, this book paints a troubling picture--but it is laced with hope. Moreover, even with the problems the DNC faced, I think there was a better candidate than Secretary Clinton.
November 12, 2017
I'm no expert on politics. In fact, I hate politics and generally avoid books about it. I picked up Donna Brazile's book because I hoped her writing style would be as engaging and candid as her public speaking and because, despite my aversion to politics, I find the Presidential election of 2016 to be an intriguing mysterious mess. In the lead-up to the election, I thought the Republicans nominated the only candidate who could lose to HRC and the Democrats nominated the only candidate who could lose to Trump. Turned out I was right. Trump lost the popular vote and HRC lost the electoral college. I hoped Brazile might explain how this happened.
Her book didn't disappoint on that score. It's well written with her unique style, a blend of intelligent, academic analysis and down-home, grass-roots common sense. She says HRC lost the electoral college because Robby Mook's computer models and analysis didn't understand the value of enthusiasm for a candidate and the difference between polling and voter turnout. Mook's polls said HRC was ahead by 5 to 10 points in the key rust belt states when Brazile's gut told her HRC was in trouble. Mook's team wouldn't listen to her and wouldn't fund her efforts to stimulate passion among the minority community. To some degree, this book is a venting of her frustration, but overall, I came away thinking her conclusion that the campaign needed a better balance between Mook's approach and her gut-level instincts is correct. For once, I learned something from a book about politics and didn't come away aggravated. It's a quick easy read and worth the time if your're still perplexed about the outcome in 2016.
Her book didn't disappoint on that score. It's well written with her unique style, a blend of intelligent, academic analysis and down-home, grass-roots common sense. She says HRC lost the electoral college because Robby Mook's computer models and analysis didn't understand the value of enthusiasm for a candidate and the difference between polling and voter turnout. Mook's polls said HRC was ahead by 5 to 10 points in the key rust belt states when Brazile's gut told her HRC was in trouble. Mook's team wouldn't listen to her and wouldn't fund her efforts to stimulate passion among the minority community. To some degree, this book is a venting of her frustration, but overall, I came away thinking her conclusion that the campaign needed a better balance between Mook's approach and her gut-level instincts is correct. For once, I learned something from a book about politics and didn't come away aggravated. It's a quick easy read and worth the time if your're still perplexed about the outcome in 2016.
November 16, 2017
This is one of the strangest books I've ever read. Donna Brazile oscillates between serious examinations of international hacking efforts designed to thwart American democracy and dishy stories about the drama of the Hillary Clinton campaign.
The personal put-downs are sometimes so unnecessary, one has to wonder what Brazile hopes to gain from using a campaign memoir to emulate the infamous 'Mean Girls' burn book. Even more confusing is how someone with this temperament ended up at the helm of the DNC.
'Hacks' is recommendable for the in-depth look at how the DNC addressed what we now know to be cyber warfare. I've yet to see anyone else go into this level of detail about what the DNC knew and how it handled the situation.
But the main thing I learned from reading 'Hacks' is to be frightened of Donna Brazile.
The personal put-downs are sometimes so unnecessary, one has to wonder what Brazile hopes to gain from using a campaign memoir to emulate the infamous 'Mean Girls' burn book. Even more confusing is how someone with this temperament ended up at the helm of the DNC.
'Hacks' is recommendable for the in-depth look at how the DNC addressed what we now know to be cyber warfare. I've yet to see anyone else go into this level of detail about what the DNC knew and how it handled the situation.
But the main thing I learned from reading 'Hacks' is to be frightened of Donna Brazile.
February 8, 2018
I’ve been searching for why and how information since the 2016 Presidential election results started to turn towards 45. This book adds a valuable dimension to the picture, including plenty of info about Russian hackers and cyber defense. Still, it’s highly readable and I absolutely recommend it for political history and memoir readers.
Full review at TheBibliophage.com.
Full review at TheBibliophage.com.
November 9, 2017
An eye opening page turner!
Thank you Donna Brazile for your service to America, for your grit, perseverance, and decision to tell the world about the internal struggles you and so many others suffered during the 2016 presidential election.
Highly recommended.
Thank you Donna Brazile for your service to America, for your grit, perseverance, and decision to tell the world about the internal struggles you and so many others suffered during the 2016 presidential election.
Highly recommended.
December 28, 2017
If there is a part of you that believes that the hacking of the DNC might have been done by a 400-lb. man in the basement of his mother's house, you must read this book.
This is the best account of what went wrong with the Clinton campaign that I have read -- better than Hillary Clinton's, better than Katy Tur's. Donna Brazile does not hold back when she describes what went wrong, both externally and internally, and she names names.
The DNC was strategically cyber-attacked by professionals at the direction of the Kremlin, with the willing assistance of Julian Assange -- all of whom had it in for Hillary Clinton. Donna Brazile provides the details of how it happened and made me understand it better than ever before.
Aside from those "hacks", she talks about the political "hacks" who thought they knew the modern way to run a campaign, all based on data, while ignoring the political veterans with experience with hands-on campaigns. Well, we know the result. Yeah, that's right. You screwed up, Robby Mook. Thanks.
This is a frightening and effective account of what goes wrong when there are "hacks" both inside and outside a campaign. Highly recommended.
This is the best account of what went wrong with the Clinton campaign that I have read -- better than Hillary Clinton's, better than Katy Tur's. Donna Brazile does not hold back when she describes what went wrong, both externally and internally, and she names names.
The DNC was strategically cyber-attacked by professionals at the direction of the Kremlin, with the willing assistance of Julian Assange -- all of whom had it in for Hillary Clinton. Donna Brazile provides the details of how it happened and made me understand it better than ever before.
Aside from those "hacks", she talks about the political "hacks" who thought they knew the modern way to run a campaign, all based on data, while ignoring the political veterans with experience with hands-on campaigns. Well, we know the result. Yeah, that's right. You screwed up, Robby Mook. Thanks.
This is a frightening and effective account of what goes wrong when there are "hacks" both inside and outside a campaign. Highly recommended.
March 20, 2018
Brazile's title refers to at least two hacks: the hack of the DNC and HRC campaigns servers and the hack organizers running the HRC campaign. More than two thirds of the book deals with the Russian hack. The criticism of the HRC campaign leadership is the juicy and personal part of the book while the story of the effort to block the Russians from further penetration of the American electoral process is really her main concern. Interesting how most of the noise about the book has centered on Brazile's conflict with the hacks at HRC HQ who dismissed her request for funds to mobilize African American voters who, arguably, could have turned the tide for Clinton in Michigan. Take aways: Brazile remains politically ambitious and is trying to rebuild her reputation after being accused of leaking CNN debate question to the HRC campaign, which she still denies; Brazile is trying to retain her role as a political power broker among Black Democrats; Brazile is willing to throw HRC under the bus to regain her own political credibility; this book provides another glimpse into the wild world of campaign 2016 and thoroughly damns the strategy and tactics of HRC and Robby Mook. The excerpts and interviews Brazile has provided in the media cover most of this stuff, so the book, which could have been written in 40-50 pages, is not a must read for most people - we gain little from the pages spent on Brazile's dog and garden. "Hacks" does add to the preponderance of evidence that indicates the HRC campaign was run by technocratic fools, that Debbie Wasserman Shultz should be hounded from office, and that if the Dems have a future it rests with the Bernie coalition. Brazile is one of the first high profile defectors from the sinking ship of Clintonism, and for that we can be grateful!
May 1, 2018
Is this a good book? I'm not sure. It isn't a 'literate' piece of nonfiction; it is, however, told in Donna Brazile's voice with the Louisianan vernacular so clearly Donna.
The media screamed headlines that claimed the DNC rigged the primary; those headlines failed to understand the nuance of the occurrences. Donna told the story in such a way that finally clarified what Debbie Wasserman Schultz did that was wrong. As a Democrat, I found Donna's descriptions useful in revealing the inner workings of the party.
More than consideration of the Democratic primary season, the actual hacking of the DNC captivated and infuriated me. The cyber 'Pearl Harbor' is the real substance of this book. From the TV pundits who talked to Donna, I had the impression the primary thesis of the book was a determination of whether Bernie Sanders had been 'robbed.' Those people didn't read the same book that I did.
This book reminds me that our electoral process was attacked, is still being attacked and I see little sign of a federal defense.
Because of Donna's colloquial style, this is an easy read that I recommend wholeheartedly.
The media screamed headlines that claimed the DNC rigged the primary; those headlines failed to understand the nuance of the occurrences. Donna told the story in such a way that finally clarified what Debbie Wasserman Schultz did that was wrong. As a Democrat, I found Donna's descriptions useful in revealing the inner workings of the party.
More than consideration of the Democratic primary season, the actual hacking of the DNC captivated and infuriated me. The cyber 'Pearl Harbor' is the real substance of this book. From the TV pundits who talked to Donna, I had the impression the primary thesis of the book was a determination of whether Bernie Sanders had been 'robbed.' Those people didn't read the same book that I did.
This book reminds me that our electoral process was attacked, is still being attacked and I see little sign of a federal defense.
Because of Donna's colloquial style, this is an easy read that I recommend wholeheartedly.
November 15, 2017
What a phenomenal book from a great lady. Brazile pulls no punches as she gives the reader an inside look at the DNC, the hacking of the election and the personalities of some of the major players.
When Brazile was brought in to take over the DNC mid-election, it was broke and seriously in debt. Obama had left the organization seriously in the red, and Hillary was raising her own money, which she wanted spent on her campaign, not the down ticket races. Debbie Wasserman Schultz had a big office with lots of staff that catered to her including a body woman, but she had done little to nothing to fix the problems. Brazile’s entry was a bit like Obama’s in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, she hadn’t made the mess but was responsible for cleaning it up.
There was considerable friction between the Clinton people and the DNC. Certain staffers were there as spies, and undercut Brazile’s efforts to get the institution on solid footing. Although she didn’t single out Obama for blame, it caused me to wonder why he didn’t do more to erase the 12 million dollar debt that he had run up.
The hacking was at the centerpiece of the story. Anyone in the security field will find the hack and the fixes fascinating. Those who were brought in to fix the problem were all volunteers that Brazile knew who worked at the top companies. They left their lives and jobs behind and worked long days with no remuneration. They are some of the real hero’s behind this story.
I still think that the email where Brazile supposedly gave HRC a question in advance was part of the hack. It was never found when they went thru her computers.
Brazile seems so down to earth and likable in her cussing and her love for her dog (who may have been poisoned by someone on the other side). I loved her alter ego Delores (you don’t want to get Delores mad) and her genuine decency to staffers she didn’t like, but kept on so they could have health insurance. She’s taken a lot of heat for her actions and publishing this book, much of it undeserved. Her portrayal of the Bernie campaign showed him to be a decent, honest guy. I can’t say that about those who surrounded Clinton. That may be another reason why she lost.
As an animal lover, I think Donna really needs to get a new dog!
When Brazile was brought in to take over the DNC mid-election, it was broke and seriously in debt. Obama had left the organization seriously in the red, and Hillary was raising her own money, which she wanted spent on her campaign, not the down ticket races. Debbie Wasserman Schultz had a big office with lots of staff that catered to her including a body woman, but she had done little to nothing to fix the problems. Brazile’s entry was a bit like Obama’s in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, she hadn’t made the mess but was responsible for cleaning it up.
There was considerable friction between the Clinton people and the DNC. Certain staffers were there as spies, and undercut Brazile’s efforts to get the institution on solid footing. Although she didn’t single out Obama for blame, it caused me to wonder why he didn’t do more to erase the 12 million dollar debt that he had run up.
The hacking was at the centerpiece of the story. Anyone in the security field will find the hack and the fixes fascinating. Those who were brought in to fix the problem were all volunteers that Brazile knew who worked at the top companies. They left their lives and jobs behind and worked long days with no remuneration. They are some of the real hero’s behind this story.
I still think that the email where Brazile supposedly gave HRC a question in advance was part of the hack. It was never found when they went thru her computers.
Brazile seems so down to earth and likable in her cussing and her love for her dog (who may have been poisoned by someone on the other side). I loved her alter ego Delores (you don’t want to get Delores mad) and her genuine decency to staffers she didn’t like, but kept on so they could have health insurance. She’s taken a lot of heat for her actions and publishing this book, much of it undeserved. Her portrayal of the Bernie campaign showed him to be a decent, honest guy. I can’t say that about those who surrounded Clinton. That may be another reason why she lost.
As an animal lover, I think Donna really needs to get a new dog!
November 26, 2017
Per the author, Trump won because the Dems were hacked and Hillary didn’t give her any money to drive minority turnout. In her candor about these outrages, she also reveals that the primaries were rigged against Bernie, the only politics for the Dems is identity politics, their operations are totally amateurish, and Hillary was a horrible candidate - inspired nobody, even the Dems - her primary virtue was her gender. A really quick, fun read, believe it or not! You’ll laugh to yourself again and again when you consider the Dems ongoing claims to the moral high ground.
You’ll also come away a stronger fan of ANYTHING but politics. I recommend sports, especially Duke football. It’s a lot more values-based than anything in DC. #dukegang
You’ll also come away a stronger fan of ANYTHING but politics. I recommend sports, especially Duke football. It’s a lot more values-based than anything in DC. #dukegang
January 1, 2018
I started this as an ebook, then switched to the audio version, which is narrated by the author. I definitely prefer the audio book since it allowed the author's personality and emotional tone to come through more easily than the print version. I came to really like Donna's bold, to-the-point style.
Going into this book, I thought it was another Hillary bashing book since it was being used as proof by Bernie supporters that the Democratic primary was rigged. However, the book was not written for that purpose. It doesn't put Hillary's campaign in a good light, but it doesn't attack Hillary herself and it doesn't say the primary was rigged outright. I had a bias against Donna going in, but after hearing her out, she really won me over. I'm glad she wrote her story. I hope Americans will heed her call to protect the integrity of our election systems because the hacking of the DNC shows how vulnerable our democracy really is.
I'd already read Hillary's book What Happened, Bernie's book Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In and Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign, so I was wondering if Donna's book would really have anything new I hadn't already read somewhere else. It was definitely worth reading. First, it offered a point of view from the perspective of the DNC. Second, it helped to clarify the kinds of problems the campaign had with specifics. Third, it really goes into detail about the hack of the DNC and what steps the DNC took, which I found extremely interesting.
Going into this book, I thought it was another Hillary bashing book since it was being used as proof by Bernie supporters that the Democratic primary was rigged. However, the book was not written for that purpose. It doesn't put Hillary's campaign in a good light, but it doesn't attack Hillary herself and it doesn't say the primary was rigged outright. I had a bias against Donna going in, but after hearing her out, she really won me over. I'm glad she wrote her story. I hope Americans will heed her call to protect the integrity of our election systems because the hacking of the DNC shows how vulnerable our democracy really is.
I'd already read Hillary's book What Happened, Bernie's book Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In and Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign, so I was wondering if Donna's book would really have anything new I hadn't already read somewhere else. It was definitely worth reading. First, it offered a point of view from the perspective of the DNC. Second, it helped to clarify the kinds of problems the campaign had with specifics. Third, it really goes into detail about the hack of the DNC and what steps the DNC took, which I found extremely interesting.
November 20, 2017
Perhaps the most honest presentation of how Washington and it’s surrogates operate. Yet what is much more important is it provides an unintentional entry into Washington’s bazarro world where truth is what I say it is and truth is of course always second to winning.
The writting starts with claiming Messrs. Obama, Hillary Clinton and the DNC Chairwoman Schultz,
are her long time friends and that they are all highly competent honest individuals. However, the rest of the book disparages their abilities and forthrightness.
It addresses the Clintons rigging of the primary by lending the DNC funds in return for a contract that gave Hillary’s campaign complete control over the DNC one year before she won the primary and that the contract effectively ensured DNC funds contributed by individuals to support all of the US candidates be funneled to Hilary’s campaign (it states essentially all of the funds went to Hillary).
Remarkably, it tells of Ms. Brazile finding the DNC contract and her telling Mr. Sanders (who lost the Democratic presidential primary to Hillary) he was railroaded but she also tells him she will not destroy the candidate i.e., it will be kept from public knowledge. Letting out the truth would cause her to loose! So not only Ms. Brazile but also Mr. Sanders entered into a conspiracy to hide the truth from us. This type of conduct if endemic would evidence a morally bankrupt Democratic Party yet the book treats it as totally acceptable conduct.
The book is worth reading for what it unintentionally documents about the Democratic Party’s hypocrisy, self dealing and disdain for transparent open campaigns.
The writting starts with claiming Messrs. Obama, Hillary Clinton and the DNC Chairwoman Schultz,
are her long time friends and that they are all highly competent honest individuals. However, the rest of the book disparages their abilities and forthrightness.
It addresses the Clintons rigging of the primary by lending the DNC funds in return for a contract that gave Hillary’s campaign complete control over the DNC one year before she won the primary and that the contract effectively ensured DNC funds contributed by individuals to support all of the US candidates be funneled to Hilary’s campaign (it states essentially all of the funds went to Hillary).
Remarkably, it tells of Ms. Brazile finding the DNC contract and her telling Mr. Sanders (who lost the Democratic presidential primary to Hillary) he was railroaded but she also tells him she will not destroy the candidate i.e., it will be kept from public knowledge. Letting out the truth would cause her to loose! So not only Ms. Brazile but also Mr. Sanders entered into a conspiracy to hide the truth from us. This type of conduct if endemic would evidence a morally bankrupt Democratic Party yet the book treats it as totally acceptable conduct.
The book is worth reading for what it unintentionally documents about the Democratic Party’s hypocrisy, self dealing and disdain for transparent open campaigns.
November 24, 2017
The author purports to shed light on the alleged Russian hack on the Democratic National Committee (DNC)—from the perspective of an insider – Donna Brazile, who had a reputation “as a one-stop shop for fixing sticky problems.” The book fails to reveal any meaningful novel intelligence on this subject, however. Rather, Brazile mostly sets out her angst over being ignored and mistreated by “Brooklyn,” the core of the Hillary Clinton campaign. As it turns out, she is probably correct—Clinton likely snubbed and used her and then didn’t listen to Brazile on major issues—particularly the voting base of African Americans and other inner-city dwellers who Clinton took for granted.
Brazile also significantly overplays her hand as a political strategist and campaign advisor—she hasn’t been on the winning team much. She knew what was up when she decided to take the interim chair of the DOC. She knew how the Clinton’s operated. Feeding debate questions to Clinton is glossed over.
But she is a compassionate writer, and on personal issues, I find her accounting of her daily stress necessitating drinking wine, gardening and hanging out with her dog compelling. She seems like the kind of person one would like to have a few drinks with and discuss politics in general and her interesting and unique life in Louisiana.
Brazile also significantly overplays her hand as a political strategist and campaign advisor—she hasn’t been on the winning team much. She knew what was up when she decided to take the interim chair of the DOC. She knew how the Clinton’s operated. Feeding debate questions to Clinton is glossed over.
But she is a compassionate writer, and on personal issues, I find her accounting of her daily stress necessitating drinking wine, gardening and hanging out with her dog compelling. She seems like the kind of person one would like to have a few drinks with and discuss politics in general and her interesting and unique life in Louisiana.
November 16, 2017
If you wanted to know why Hillary lost the election then this book goes further to the truth than the recent book by Hillary. Donna goes straight to the heart of the matter and she pulls no punches. A person in politics who shoots straight and fights for what is right which is the exposure of the Russian hacking on the DNC, America and the Presidential campaign and election of 2016. The hacking issue is carefully explained and we see the efforts made to combat it some heroic and patriotic. She also exposes those who ignored the threat from both sides of the Political spectrum. Most alarming was the state of the DNC left in debt and powerless as Hillary and her system steamrolled everything in their path. I ahve read a lot of books on the USA political system over the past couple years, many by Politicians and analysts, and Hacks stands out as one of the very best. An excellent book and a big thank you to Donna and a hearty and sincere recommendation.
December 30, 2017
Brazile certainly provides insight into the skullduggery of the 2016 campaign, and provides some interesting insights into the role of Russian hacking, and so on. However, any reader with an ounce of critical thinking will find that this book is a reputation-saving memoir designed to puff up the raging ego of Brazile. She details her snappy comebacks, and how snappy they were, as well as her GREAT reforms in the DNC, and how GREAT they were. Brazile fails to adequately condemn the DNC's blatant corporate pandering , nor their relentless class solidarity. She exposes, unknowingly , just how far the DNC has strayed for its roots in true democracy. She uncritically breezes over sundry campaign fundraising events with wealthy donors as if they were a given, a mere backdrop for her own personal struggles with her reputation problems,, it's profoundly disturbing to read. Read this book if you are interested in getting inside the mind of an intelligent, hardworking DNC hack.
December 28, 2017
I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it because I knew there was more to the story of the DNC hacks....and there sure is. I also miss Donna Brazile as a CNN commentator and wanted to know more about what she says happened with the leaked debate question. If you are picking this book up to find the answer to that question alone, don't bother as the issue is addressed but never fully resolved to anyone's satisfaction. She details the behind-the-scenes tensions between the data-driven approach to campaigning led by Robby Mook and the more people-centred style of campaigning favoured by Brazile. There is lots of dirt on the mishandling of the DNC by her predecessor. Brazile isn't afraid to criticize Clinton or even Obama for that matter. I enjoyed the read but it reinforced for me what a shit-show American politics has become -- on both sides of the aisle.
November 12, 2017
Not sure what I should say about this book because there are a lot of things that COULD be said about it. To be sure, Donna has an interesting story to tell and an interesting perspective. She is brave for telling many parts of it. It is sad to read about the many threats she received. Completely uncalled for. However, I found it frustrating to listen to someone who finds victimhood around every corner and in many different forms. She doesn't hesitate to use her race and gender to call others out in an uncomfortable way. Sometimes people just disagree with your point. She is crass in her speech and clearly has a hard time grasping that many good Americans have a completely different set of values and perspective that we too want respected.
November 20, 2017
Donna Brazile writes her story in a relaxed and engaging way. She tells of her experience as the DNC Chair during the 2016 election. While Ms. Brazile seems like a person I would like to know and be very happy to have as a neighbor, I don't know that her book is 100% historically accurate, 100% honest, or 100% complete. I think a few things get fudged.
A biggie is her handling of the incident where she is alleged to have given a debate question to the HRC camp before the debate happened. It makes me question the narrative.
Ms. Brazile has the same world view that seems so common among Democrats, and that is that Trump is a disaster, his Presidency will inevitably destroy the country, and so on. I just look past that stuff when reading the book, but it's sad that such a huge chunk of the country is so CERTAIN of the other side's motives, their state of mind, their lack of integrity, that they are unwilling to even entertain the idea that maybe, just maybe, they could be wrong... about some people, about some outcomes, about some of their core beliefs.
Overall: A good book. A fast and engaging read. Take it with a grain or two of salt.
A biggie is her handling of the incident where she is alleged to have given a debate question to the HRC camp before the debate happened. It makes me question the narrative.
Ms. Brazile has the same world view that seems so common among Democrats, and that is that Trump is a disaster, his Presidency will inevitably destroy the country, and so on. I just look past that stuff when reading the book, but it's sad that such a huge chunk of the country is so CERTAIN of the other side's motives, their state of mind, their lack of integrity, that they are unwilling to even entertain the idea that maybe, just maybe, they could be wrong... about some people, about some outcomes, about some of their core beliefs.
Overall: A good book. A fast and engaging read. Take it with a grain or two of salt.
November 13, 2017
What did I just read?
Donna Brazile’s book “Hacks” has an identity problem. Is it about the hacking of the DNC, the consequences of said hacking and the implications for future elections? Or is it about the hacks that ran the HRC campaign into a wall allowing the most outrageous GOP candidate in quite some time to win.
The tone of the book is self-indulgent, almost whiney and I found it frustrating to read. But the accusations it levels at both the Russians and the HRC campaign are worth examining. What she did not examine is the question of which is more important? The DEMs winning the election or preservation of the integrity of the voting system? By default she chose prioritizing a political victory.
Despite the many questionable ethical lapses she found in the HRC’s relationship with the DNC she chose not to challenge them. She chose not to publicly fight the Russian hackers in the arena of public opinion — preferring instead to wait for the bureaucrats to take up their swords. They never did. Apparently this book’s appearance means that she is ready to do battle publicly, finally.
Wonks and political junkies will enjoy this book. Everyone else will be left second guessing her.
Donna Brazile’s book “Hacks” has an identity problem. Is it about the hacking of the DNC, the consequences of said hacking and the implications for future elections? Or is it about the hacks that ran the HRC campaign into a wall allowing the most outrageous GOP candidate in quite some time to win.
The tone of the book is self-indulgent, almost whiney and I found it frustrating to read. But the accusations it levels at both the Russians and the HRC campaign are worth examining. What she did not examine is the question of which is more important? The DEMs winning the election or preservation of the integrity of the voting system? By default she chose prioritizing a political victory.
Despite the many questionable ethical lapses she found in the HRC’s relationship with the DNC she chose not to challenge them. She chose not to publicly fight the Russian hackers in the arena of public opinion — preferring instead to wait for the bureaucrats to take up their swords. They never did. Apparently this book’s appearance means that she is ready to do battle publicly, finally.
Wonks and political junkies will enjoy this book. Everyone else will be left second guessing her.
March 18, 2018
An interesting and clear take on how the DNC was blindsided by Wikileaks, Guccifer2.0, and Trump&Co.
This book is subtly written -- namely because we get a surreal feel for how Ms. Brazile recalls key events within a context of the disastrous 2016 election bid of H. R. Clinton. While Ms. Brazile conveys good natured "positive feelings" of being a significant player during the year leading up to the 2016 election, we get a sense of an undertow. This undertow is as treacherous as the ocean currents--but more so, the story conveys the sense of what it means to be hacked and have a democracy compromised. I highly recommend the story to those of us who believed treacherous nature of the Cold War ended with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall--- The Iron Curtain is now a virtual construct that has no real borders--it is all too real, cunning, and is perpetrated by the likes of Putin, Assange, and those wish to the U.S. real harm..... I cannot recommend it enough.
This book is subtly written -- namely because we get a surreal feel for how Ms. Brazile recalls key events within a context of the disastrous 2016 election bid of H. R. Clinton. While Ms. Brazile conveys good natured "positive feelings" of being a significant player during the year leading up to the 2016 election, we get a sense of an undertow. This undertow is as treacherous as the ocean currents--but more so, the story conveys the sense of what it means to be hacked and have a democracy compromised. I highly recommend the story to those of us who believed treacherous nature of the Cold War ended with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall--- The Iron Curtain is now a virtual construct that has no real borders--it is all too real, cunning, and is perpetrated by the likes of Putin, Assange, and those wish to the U.S. real harm..... I cannot recommend it enough.
November 11, 2017
This is one of the better books about the 2016 election process. Ms. Brazile writes in a free flowing style about her experience from the inside of the election. Although I can not agree with all of her conclusions, I am struck by how much age, race, gender plays into our interpretation of facts. Ms. Brazile's knowledge of technology is limited as she attempts to explain the 'Russian hacking'. What I liked was the refreshing lack of elitism in most of her narrative. I have sympathy for her apparent trauma that she endured from having participate in the election. I believe Ms. Brazile really cares for the Democratic party which has apparently gone madly off the rails.
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