Advance Man is a political adventure.

Set in the hard-fought early days of the 2008 Democratic primary season, it is an insider’s look behind the scenes at seventy-two hours in the most challenging and secretive, yet most public part of American presidential politics—the Advance operation that creates and controls the media image of a presidential candidate, as well as everything that happens within a quarter-mile radius.

It is the story of one Advance trip, and it is also the story of presidential Advance as seen through the eyes of a veteran of the political wars - the Senior National Advance Lead, Bix. It is his eleventh presidential campaign and it is the longest of his career.

There is nothing special about the Advance trip. Bix has two days to produce a 35,000-person rally, and a major endorsement event, and a surprise “OTR” especially for local media, plus track down the co-author of a reportedly scandalous article that could end the presidential candidate’s chances, and fend off a conservative talk show host’s army of investigators, producers and internet hackers intent on finding, or creating, that scandal. And he must carefully avoid the pack of vicious Chihuahuas nipping at his heels from positions of authority in his own campaign headquarters and the local Field office.

It’s just another half-week in the life of the Lead Advance.