Hollywood to New York, coveted donors await a clear front-runner

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Prominent campaign donors from Hollywood to New York are still holding out for a clear front-runner in the Democratic presidential race before opening their checkbooks and providing donor lists.

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In New York, Democratic National Committee member and prolific volunteer fund-raiser Robert Zimmerman committed to supporting Kerry just last month, and now finds himself trying to persuade holdouts in various Democratic circles on why it's time to get in.

His pitch: "I'm telling them now it's critical to unite because Kerry has shown the political leadership to take on George Bush and because the quicker we unite behind John Kerry the quicker we can unite the party, and that to me is the critical issue here," he said. "Some agree, some want to hold back, and some know I'm going to call them two or three more times." Several potential donors are waiting until after Tuesday's first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary to commit, Zimmerman said.

In Chicago, former DNC finance chairman Joe Cari Jr. said he was uncommitted but leaning toward Kerry after his win last week in the Iowa caucuses. Many undecideds realize that if they don't get in now it will soon be too late to influence who becomes the nominee, Cari said.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/26/politics1451EST0675.DTL