Opinion: Always double-check why they’re there

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A full 90 minutes before Bill Richardson was to unveil his new Latin America policy before the NDN -- a liberal advocacy group -- at UCLA’s Faculty Center this afternoon, his advance staff was pleased to see people already filtering in.

That’s always a good sign in a business that can be very humbling when you plan a big event and few people show up. A half-dozen or so people settled into seats before noon while the tech guys fine-tuned the sound system in the California meeting room, a long open space with a rustic beamed ceiling opening onto a pine-shaded patio.

Then another person strolled in, and was corralled at the registration table.

Actually he wasn’t there for the Richardson speech. ‘Is this the sexual harassment seminar?’ he asked.

Um, no, he was told.

A couple of more people popped up from their seats. ‘This isn’t the sexual harassment seminar for graduate students?’ No, it wasn’t. It was a presidential policy presentation.

A flier was produced showing that this was indeed at one time supposed to be the location of the sexual harassment seminar, apparently since moved to another room.

Within seconds, the audience was back to two, with 85 minutes to go.

Shortly before the official start time, the audience was three.

(UPDATE: By the time the program began at 2 p.m. during an afternoon of contradictory start times -- a campus listing said noon; a campaign release said 1:30 p.m. -- Richardson had an audience of about 200 people. For the complete story, click here.)

-- Scott Martelle