I completely understand presidential campaigns must contain a strong fundraising component. I also understand that it's going to put you in circles of wealth and among people whose lifestyles are anything but the average American's.
Welcome to President Obama's Sunday, as chronicled by the AP:
On Sunday, Obama was holding two fundraisers in Los Angeles. He is also appearing at a small, elite gathering at the home of entertainment mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, where Obama will be joined by former President Bill Clinton. His campaign calls the gathering a "thank you event" for longtime donors.
Obama's main event will be his remarks at a star-studded concert at the Nokia Theatre, marking 30 days until the election. Actor George Clooney and musical guests Stevie Wonder, Jon Bon Jovi and Katy Perry will entertain the crowd.
The president will wrap up his night at Wolfgang Puck's WP24 restaurant, high above the L.A. skyline in the Ritz-Carlton hotel. With 150 people expected at a cost of $25,000 per person, that event alone will raise $3.75 million.
Obama's trip, in total, will be three days, covering fundraisers in San Francisco and a rally in Columbus, Ohio, the state at the center of both campaign's efforts.
Does anyone else find it ironic that the only gratitude Obama can seem to find for the rich, a demographic he routinely insinuates needs to do more, is for those donors that have helped give him the job and platform he now has? (This is assuming, on my part, that the "elite" longtime donors at Katzenberg's house are well off.) Remember, a Fidelity study found 86% of millionaires were "self-made," or considered themselves so--it's not like many of these millionaires haven't worked hard already. But for the president, warm feelings toward this demographic apparently are best expressed when he's the recipient of the wealthy's often hard-earned cash.