Barack Obama has targeted close to 200 celebrity supporters – ranging from Jay-Z to Harvey Weinstein – whose endorsement he wants to boost his re-election chances, according to a list obtained by the Tennessean.
The list, dated Dec. 5 but released on Friday, includes a who’s who of actors, musicians, politicians and others.
Some are well-known Obama supporters, like George Clooney, Tom Hanks and Ari Emanuel (whose brother Rahm used to serve as Obama’s chief of staff).
According to OpenSecrets.org, both Clooney and Hanks have already donated more than $30,000 to the Democratic National Committee, as well as smaller donations to the Obama campaign. Emanuel serves as a bundler, as do the likes of Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.
Others on the list are not as transparently political, but one thing is clear: Obama seeks a wide base of support, courting across all demographics.
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To secure the youth that helped elect him last time, he wants musicians like will.i.am, Jay-z and Arcade Fire to support him.
Middle-aged men might pile on for sports stars like Emmitt Smith and Alonzo Mourning while Weinstein and Madeline Albright can lure the rich and powerful.
Even the fanboy and precoital boy crowd – whose voting status is up for debate – may find Blake Lively and Mila Kunis sufficiently persuasive.
Of course, Obama had a ton of support from the liberal Hollywood sect last time around. The question is if their support will be as fervent in 2012.
At the very least, he can bank on the support of one mammoth figure — Oprah Winfrey. The media mogul told CNN Friday that she is behind Obama 100 percent.