President Obama will head back to the Democratic donor-rich state of California Thursday and Friday to huddle with Hollywood luminaries and rake in millions to help Democrats win back the majority in Congress and retain the White House.
It’s the second time Obama has traveled to Los Angeles to collect cash this year, and this round will include fundraisers in quick succession at the homes of Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn and his wife environmental activist Cindy Horn, and Tobey Maguire and his wife Jennifer.
The White House on Wednesday made no bones about capitalizing on Obama’s 50 percent or higher approval rating, his highest poll numbers in months, to help Democrats and the eventual party nominee this election.
“As the leader of the Democratic Party and the most well-regarded figure, not just in the Democratic party, but right now in American politics, the president is going to play an important role in the general election,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Wednesday ahead of the California trip.
Obama’s job, as he sees it, is to unify Democrats behind the party’s eventual nominee for president and make a strong case that his successor shares his “values and is committed to building on the progress that we’ve made,” Earnest said.
In some ways, Obama is already fighting the general election battle as he bashes Donald Trump’s proposals and remarks as “half-baked,” “wacky,” “draconian” and “impractical.”
But as his repeated trips to California and New York show, Obama can also play an important role behind the scenes as fundraiser-in-chief, and Hollywood is fertile ground for him.
In mid-February, Obama dined with Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman at a Washington eatery to help him design the details of the “Obama Presidential Center,” his take on a presidential library that will be opened after he leaves office.
Afterward, Freeman said he’s a “big fan” of Obama’s and would essentially hand him a blank check for his library or whatever he needs.
“I’m a big fan – ever since I read his book, ‘The Audacity of Hope,’ he’s had me at his hip pocket,” Morgan told Ora.tv. “Whatever he needs, if I could provide it, he’s got it. He knows it.”
According to a report in Variety, the first event at the Horns residence Thursday night will benefit the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan also will attend.
Ticket prices start at $15,000 a couple, which includes a photo op and dinner, while co-host tickets are $33,400. Co-chairs of the event are paying $66,800 for the dinner, photo-op and a VIP reception. There’s a long list of co-hosts and co-chairs, including several Hollywood stars such as Barbara Streisand and James Brolin, Andy Spahn, Norman and Lyn Lear, as well as Marcy Carsey, J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath, Chuck Ortner, Jennifer Perry and Peg Yorkin.
The next morning, Obama will head to the Maguire’s home in Los Angeles for a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Tickets for the event are a flat $33,400 per couple.
Later Friday, he will fly to San Francisco for more fundraisers, although the White House has yet to release details about them.
