WALTER ZELMAN
As a political consultant and fund-raiser, I can relate to Walter Zelman’s “insider’s account” of his experiences as a candidate (“Why One Mr. Smith Couldn’t Even Make It to Sacramento,” Nov. 11). The political reality of running for office is: You may be the best candidate in the race, but if the money isn’t raised to get out the message, no one will ever know.
Zelman’s candid account illustrates how difficult and frustrating it is to raise money when you don’t have name identification or incumbency (e.g., Garamendi), a fund-raising constituency or a base of past contributors.
This month I’ll be teaching a political fund-raising seminar at UCLA Extension--Zelman’s article will be required reading.
JILL BARAD
Sherman Oaks
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