Opening Act: Rich People  Reporting on Politics and Policy.
Sept. 18 2012 8:25 AM  Opening Act: Rich People  Blake Zeff
tries to understand why candidates pander so badly to people
with fat wallets. Not that complicated, actually.  [A] “high
dollar” campaign fundraising event will be billed as a chance to
hear the “real inside scoop” of what's going on in the campaign.
So, candidates are often admonished by their fundraising staff
not to give their usual stump speech, because these donors
expect more. It’s the same reason big money folks are invited to
take part in "strategy" calls with campaign staff, who run them
through the latest polling (most of it publicly available) and
offer optimistic assessments and broad strokes about the
strategy moving forward.  Marin Cogan hangs out with Al
Sharpton, who has built a relationship with Democrats similar to
the one Sean Hannity has with Republicans.*  He considers
himself an ally to the president. "He gives me access. Just
like, I had access with Bush or Clinton."