| How did you get involved
with Jim Webb's campaign?
I was at home this summer from UVA [University of Virginia] and
wanted to continue working in politics, as I have for the past three
years. This was a race locally, and I hadn't worked on a race in
Virginia, so that was something I wanted to do.
What other duties did you perform for Jim Webb's campaign?
I did whatever they wanted me to, really. Some of the major things
I did…I was primarily involved with the field staff. So voter
outreach...we also had a primary this summer, so targeting voters
for that, and expanding our horizons and outlook to prepare for
November.
Had you ever thought that you'd end up videotaping something
on the campaign trail that would make you so notable?
No! I knew this was a practice that occurred, but I had never
done it before that week. I had met Allen earlier on in the week.
I had introduced myself to him. I started on Monday, and at his
second campaign stop he didn't know who I was and asked my name,
so I told him my name was Sidarth. He asked me what company I was
with, and I told him I was following him around. He figured out
that I'd been sent to tail him then.
Did he react in any way at that point?
No. He's a professional politician. He didn't really react.
Had you ever had any previous encounters with Allen? How
did they go?
No, this was the first time.
Have you ever experienced overt racism before? If so,
could you elaborate a bit?
Not to this extent. That's what made it even more bothersome.
How would you characterize your job that day?
It was mainly so that we had some idea about what he was talking
about. It's good to know what issues the candidate was talking about,
and where. Not to be obtrusive in any way. Just film what he's saying
when he's making his stump speeches, that's all.
Did it feel like capturing his reaction on film was a
goldmine? How did you feel after it happened?
It was humiliating. If you've never had something like this happen
to you, you don't know how it feels. It's even worse when it's someone
that society holds up to higher moral standards, like a politician.
Did anything like that happen at any other point during
your trip?
Nothing of this sort occurred at any other point on the trip;
everyone else I met was very friendly and nice to me.
Did you originate the videoclip of Senator
Allen that made its rounds on the internet via YouTube and other
online file-sharing services? How did it get out there?
I talked with my campaign about it, and I let them do with it as
they saw fit. My stance is that people should see and hold accountable
their elected officials for what they say. Something like this contributes
to the transparency of the political process, which is a good thing.
Had you ever thought of going into politics? Has your
recent experience had an effect on your attitude towards politics?
No, there's been no change towards politics. This is just a good
illustration towards transparency in politics being a good thing.
I think I want to go to law school, and then a couple of years down
the road, we'll see from there.
Where else in politics do you think politics needs increased
transparency?
Everywhere, really. I can't think why we shouldn't hold people
accountable for what they say.
How have you seen the South Asian community responding
to the incident? Have you felt supported by people (the South Asian
community, people in general) in dealing with the aftermath of the
incident?
Pretty much everyone who's talked to me has been very
supportive. I also think it's good to see that college students
know about this, and are becoming active in the political process.
South Asians tend to be an affluent constituency, despite
being a minority constituency. Have you noticed South Asians of
your generation become more politically active? Do you have a sense
of where they fall politically? What about your parents' generation?
I don't really have a good feel on that, to be honest. But I do
know that more people are paying attention now than before. I think
those are only positive effects from this.
Senator Allen is the son of George Allen,
legendary Redskins coach who led the Redskins to the Super Bowl
in 1972/73 and once said, "Losing is like Death." Do you
think there are people who vote for Allen simply because of his
father? Are you a Redskins fan?
Mmm...I have no comment on that first part, and I'm not really a
football fan.
Have you seen any of the t-shirts that allude to your
run-in with Senator Allen. For example, the shirt with the frowning
monkey and the text "Who YOU CALLING MACACA?" with proceeds
going to Jim Webb's campaign? What do you think of these products?
No comment.
Have you had any difficulty adjusting back to school at
UVA because of your newfound notoriety?
No, it's been fine. A little bit overwhelming still, to see people
know about it, but not a problem.
Do you have a forecast for Webb's campaign for senate?
What about George Allen's campaign for presidency?
I hope Mr. Webb wins.
What's next on the horizon for you?
Probably going to work in the interim. Where, I'm not sure.
Do you think that in the future there will be more of
this sort of thing, people following their elected officials around
with cameras to get increased transparency in the political process,
and to report on things outside the mainstream media?
I think the real focus of this should be letting people know about
the real person they're electing to office. I wouldn't know how
to respond to that, but I think it would be a positive outcome of
this if politicians are more careful about what they say, and more
sensitive to issues of race.
Salil Maniktahla is a macaca who currently lives in downtown San Francisco. He spends much of his free time trying to convince the staff to change the name of the magazine to "ABCMLady," with little apparent success. You can reach him at salil.maniktahla@gmail.com.
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