The Biden campaign held a mega fundraiser in New York City back in April that relied upon Hollywood celebrities and the added star power of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to raise $26 million from deep-pocketed donors. Soon after, the Trump campaign held a massive fundraiser in Palm Beach, Fla., that brought in nearly double the amount raised at Biden's star-studded event in New York City.
It didn’t take long for the Biden campaign to schedule yet another ginormous fundraiser in Los Angeles. This event would also feature Barack Obama as well as Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
Then, last week, we learned that President Trump out-raised Joe Biden in April, proving that the fundraising advantage Joe Biden has boasted about for months was slipping away. Naturally, a third mega fundraiser for Biden has just been announced for the end of June.
The latest fundraiser will be hosted by former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and headlined by Bill and Hillary Clinton. According to Axios, both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were in attendance for the state dinner for Kenyan President William Ruto last week, "giving donors and potential donors a chance to catch all three presidents in one evening at the White House."
Related: Is This the Silver Lining for Biden With Trump’s Polling Lead?
Are you noticing a pattern here? Biden is relying heavily on the star power of others to raise money for his campaign — money he desperately needs. This strategy, while arguably effective at raising money, nevertheless signals deeper issues within Biden’s campaign. He shouldn’t need to enlist the help of two former presidents and a cabal of celebrities, just to keep his fundraising efforts afloat. If Donald Trump can outraise Biden without the help of Hollywood, it points to Biden suffering from a lack of organic enthusiasm among grassroots supporters. Indeed, past financial reports have indicated that Biden is way behind Trump in small donations — a key indicator of grassroots support.
According to the Axios report, Joe Biden has been spending a ton money on television ads targeting black and Hispanic voters, hoping to convince them that the economy is booming — including $14 million on an ad campaign narrated by Robert DeNiro. Once again, Biden is relying on the star power of someone else to get the job done.
In the end, while the star-studded fundraisers may bring in the cash, they also underscore Biden’s vulnerabilities. The reliance on Hollywood celebrities and the star power of other Democrats is a reflection of just how weak of a candidate Biden is. And frankly, this problem has been obvious for some time. Whenever Obama makes an appearance at the White House, Biden becomes invisible. No one pays attention to him.
This strategy also poses another problem. Relying heavily on Hollywood celebrities in particular only reinforces the perception that Biden is out of touch with the everyday struggles of average Americans — which can’t help his campaign. In the end, all the Hollywood glitz in the world can’t substitute for genuine voter enthusiasm and support. This likely explains why, based on the polls, Biden has little to show for the celebrities he’s enlisted. He still trails Trump in the bulk of national polls and in battleground state polls, and nothing seems to be moving the needle.
