The Obama campaign has a new Hollywood fundraising strategy likely due to a lower level of enthusiasm from his usual sources of entertainment cash.
To try and get the Left Coast money machine going, the campaign has scheduled a major event that focuses on the Latino community and features some high-powered Hispanic celebrities.
The gathering for Obama's candidacy will be the first-ever national Latino gala. The hope is that it will attract a large number of Latino supporters.
"Puss in Boots" actor Antonio Banderas and his "Working Girl" actress/spouse Melanie Griffith are hosting the Oct. 24 fundraising bash in their Los Angeles home.
Co-hosting the event is "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria, according to an invitation released by Obama's re-election campaign. A number of other surprise Hollywood backers are likely to show.
Admission comes with a starting price tag of $5,000. For a premium ticket to the occasion, though, attendees must shell out $35,800, which has built into the price an opportunity to have one's picture taken with the president.
The event is being presented by Latino group Futuro Fund and will be targeted toward the president's Latino supporters. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro reportedly will be there.
According to the website of the Futuro Fund, the group describes itself as "a collective effort to engage our community through philanthropy and leadership."
Banderas and Griffith were committed Obama supporters in 2008 for both the primary and general election campaigns.
The president has appointed Longoria to a board that is responsible for creating a National Museum of the American Latino.
Longoria recently blamed the tea party for the president's low approval numbers. She told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that Obama "keeps getting beat up lately because there's such an extremist movement. And for me, it's very dangerous because it's not the character of America."
This is the president's second Los Angeles visit since Labor Day, which leaves little doubt that fundraising in Hollywood is an integral part of the Obama campaign strategy.
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court and has made several appearances there on landmark decisions. Hirsen is the co-founder and chief legal counsel for InternationalEsq.com. Visit Newsmax.TV Hollywood.
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