"Obama in Beverly Hills" (with video)

Ben Smith,with video (09:56):

The gay blog Towleroad has video from a guest of Obama's Beverly Hills fundraiser last night, at which he tried to strike a sober tone about the economy.

He made his remarks from a stage in the corner, bathed in lights, holding a microphone in his hand as he looked out into the crowd, according to Jeff Zeleny's pool report. He said the campaign provided a sobering look at the country’s economic condition.

“It's reminded people that this is not a game. This is not a reality show, no offense to any of you,” Mr. Obama said to laughter. “This is not a sitcom.”

Among the celebrities who could be seen by your pool, which was stationed at the rear of the courtyard: Will Farrell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jodi Foster. And Dennis Haysbert, who played the president on the TV series “24.”

There were at least 300 people, seated at 30 tables resting on cobblestone. White and red wine glasses were on the tables. Waiters, dressed in black, listened to the speech.

It was a serious speech for Mr. Obama – interrupted only once or twice by applause – as he spelled out the stakes of the campaign. He also talked about jittery Democrats, the reason for running and his opponents’ strategy against him.

“I know that a lot of you, just in conversations while we were in the photo lines, had all sorts of suggestions,” Mr. Obama said. “I know that won't surprise you. And a lot of people have gotten nervous and concerned. Why is this as close as it is? And what's going on?"

“We always knew this was going to be hard, and this is a leap for the American people. And we're running against somebody who has a formidable biography, a compelling biography. He's a genuine American hero, somebody who served in uniform and suffered through some things that very few of us can imagine.

“And so he is a worthy opponent. And this should be hard, because what we're asking of the American people is a fundamental shift away from an economic theory that has dominated over the last eight years that says, ‘You give more to the most and hope that it trickles down for everybody else, an economic theory that basically says you're on your own if you don't have healthcare, you're on your own if you don't have a job; if you're born into poverty, lift yourself up by your own bootstraps, you are on your own.”

“If we can cut through the nonsense and the lipstick and the pigs and the silliness, then I'm absolutely convinced that we're going to win,” Mr. Obama said, speaking over laughter and applause.

Barack Obama