When Joe Biden made a fundraising swing by means of Democratic donor strongholds of San Francisco, Chicago and New York final month, one metropolis was noticeably absent from the checklist: Los Angeles.
An uproar in donor and political circles is that the Los Angeles go to is on maintain. What was then a Writers Guild of America strike, and with SAG-AFTRA becoming a member of them, is now little greater than a hotbed of labor battle.
Biden referred to as on writers to get the “honest deal they deserve,” and after the SAG-AFTRA strike was referred to as, the White Home made an identical assertion, however sources say there are issues concerning the president tripping to an occasion the place he’ll be attending. is mired within the politics surrounding the enterprise deadlock, or he will likely be seen taking cash from studio sources as a result of his pro-union stance.
It is not clear when Biden will lastly schedule a go to to Los Angeles, and a few donors consider he will not come to the town for a fundraiser till after the strike is resolved. Though there was speak of Biden headlining an occasion this summer time, these plans have but to materialize.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, who serves as marketing campaign co-chair, mentioned earlier this month that plans for a Biden go to had been nonetheless on maintain, however declined to touch upon the labor unrest.
Hollywood – and Los Angeles on the whole – is normally on the high of any Democratic presidential candidate’s checklist whereas marketing campaign cash is being raised. Simply weeks after Biden introduced his 2020 presidential marketing campaign, he was in Los Angeles for a celebration Fundraising event On the residence of James Costos, former HBO government and US ambassador to Spain, and designer Michael Smith.
Though Biden has but to go to Los Angeles, he has raised cash from quite a lot of leisure sources, together with Katzenberg, who gave $889,600 to the Biden Victory Fund, alongside together with his spouse Marilyn, who gave the identical quantity. Different main donors embrace figures from either side of the Labor Division’s division, together with Seth MacFarlane, who gave $100,000, and Netflix’s Reed Hastings, who additionally gave $100,000. The Biden Win Fund raises cash for the Biden marketing campaign, the Democratic Nationwide Committee, and state committees.
Lastly, even with out visiting Los Angeles, the Biden marketing campaign and the DNC reported elevating $72 million within the first quarter of the re-election marketing campaign, which kicked off in April.
Any presidential go to additionally comes with the uncertainty of an outbreak of protests, for quite a lot of causes, whereas Democrats have been significantly cautious about not crossing picket strains. The Democratic Governors Affiliation moved its summer time coverage convention, held earlier this week, from the Beverly Hilton Resort, the place employees had been on strike, to the Bonaventure Resort. In 2019, the entire Democratic presidential candidates mentioned they might not cross picket strains earlier than UNITE HERE Native 11 reached a contract settlement with a meals service firm.
White Home press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre final month canceled a visitor spot on The View as a result of WGA strike, and in Might, Vice President Kamala Harris postponed an look on the MTV-sponsored City Corridor as a result of strike.