Candidate Viability and Fundraising

How do candidates prove that they are electable and that their campaign is viable? Often, the answer comes down to how much they can fundraise. Viability- or at least the perception of viability- can dramatically impact which candidates stay in the race and which drop out, well before voters see a ballot. Alex Obolensky is a fundraiser and political operative who recently served as the Finance Director for Cora Neumann's campaign for US Senate in Montana. Despite what looked like a promising campaign, Cora recently dropped out. Alex joins the Money in Politics Podcast to discuss the viability calculations that led Cora to leave the race, how standards of viability may be applied differently to different types of candidates, and he shares his thoughts on the factors that "screen" candidates well before voters get a say.