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So Obama Came to L.A. to Say "Hello" and Raise Some Bucks

AP Photo/Dave Martin

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President Barack Obama spent the night with Los Angeles Wednesday, and while the big Obamajam didn't happen on our city streets, the Commander-in-Chief managed to raise some money for his re-election campaign and say a little hello to our welcoming city.

At a fundraiser last night, Obama gave a speech that began with "Hello, LA!" and quips about our so-called cold weather. His speech was peppered with paused for laughter, and touched on his landmark 2008 election, the recurring message of change, the economy, and the challenges ahead.


Obama's motorcade (Photo by thaddywarbucks via Instagram
From Obama's speech:

"Change doesn’t happen overnight. Change is hard -- especially when you're dealing with challenges that have been building up over decades. But if everyone maintains their determination, their sense of purpose, the bonds that we have with each other as Americans, then there's no challenge we can't overcome."

Later, Obama remarked:

"We’ve got more work to do so that America once again is a place where everybody has a fair shot, everybody does their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules. That’s our vision."
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Of course, since most Angelenos weren't inside listening to the Foo Fighters rock the house in Obama's honor, most of the Westside was braced for the Obamajam, aka the gridlock the President's motorcade often causes. Having mastered the method of taking a chopper from Los Angeles International Airport to a destination closer to his events, this trip a traffic nightmare didn't generally ensue, though there were of course the requisite Tweeted gripes last night and into this morning, as Obama made his way out of town and onto the next stop.

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