At Harlem Dinner, A Few Disaffected Donors Come Back to Obama (50 pay $30k for ribs & cornbread)

Observer ^ | 3/30/11 | Reid Pillifant

[Libloather]

At Harlem Dinner, A Few Disaffected Donors Come Back to Obama
By Reid Pillifant
March 30, 2011 | 7:28 p.m

President Obama is making progress.

According to two sources who attended the "purposefully small" D.N.C. dinner at the Red Rooster in Harlem last night, a few of those much-discussed, dissident donors were among the 50 attendees who paid $30,800 to enjoy short ribs and cornbread, and chat amiably with the president.

"There were people there who in the past have expressed frustrations, and one person who said, 'You know, I'm not going to support him for re-election,'" said one attendee. "Well, they're there. And what it said to me is ultimately these people are going to come around. They're going to come around because they don't want someone who is beholden to the Tea Party to become President of the United States."

Last summer, a number of donors, particularly in the financial services industry, were said to be offended by the president's hostile rhetoric toward Wall Street and what some saw as a generally unsupportive approach to business. But, after bruising losses in November, Obama has tacked toward the center, compromising with Senate Republicans to renew the Bush tax cuts and appointing advisers with a business bent.

"I think that it has definitely subsided," said the attendee of the criticism. "It's certainly the case that since the election, both the tone from the White House and the mood among a lot of people who have been very critical has changed."

Neither source wanted to cite specific individuals, but they mentioned separate examples of people who had come back to the fold, including one person who sat out donating last year over some particular annoyance, but couldn't recall last night what exactly the reason had been.

[caddie]

Wonderful reference.

Rudyard Kipling, who won a deserved Nobel Prize, comments on Hussein (whose was not deserved) earlier in the poem:

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Heading said: "If you don't work you die."

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew,
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not God that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four-
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

[Vaduz]

Drug sales must be real good this year in Harlem.

[kittymyrib]

Most minority voters vote with their skin, not their brain.

[Caipirabob]

At Harlem Dinner, A Few Disaffected Donors Come Back to Obama (50 pay $30k for ribs & cornbread)

Upon leaving the event, several guests were heard to state "I should have gone to see Charlie Sheen instead!"

[snowsislander]

That’s a mighty poor showing for a presidential campaign kick-off event, and especially so for an incumbent.

[upchuck]

'You know, I'm not going to support him for re-election,'" said one attendee.

Talk about liberal mental disease! This person just paid $30,800 for a two-bit meal and they're not gonna vote for nobama? That's sick.

[sergeantdave]

“According to two sources who attended the “purposefully small” D.N.C. dinner”

Translation: Out of 6 million people in NYC, the clown circus could only find 50 fools to show up.