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President Barack Obama gives a thumbs up as he walks out of Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, with Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., after ordering a snack. Obama is on a three-day trip to the West Coast. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama told a group of donors who paid $38,500 each to meet him Monday night at a fundraiser held in the private home of Hollywood movie producer James Lassiter that: "This election will not be as sexy as the first one."
"We’ve got to grind it out a little bit. We’ve got to grind it out," Obama told the contributors, according to the official White House transcript of his remarks.
Among those attending the fundraiser at Lassiter's home were actor Will Smith and former NBA star Magic Johnson.
According to the White House, the president's statements were met with laughter and applause.
"I’m going to keep on pushing," Obama said. "But I’m also going to need to know that we’ve got a strong base of support behind us that is able to amplify our message, support our message, and get out there and have the same enthusiasm, the same passion as we did the first time.
"And I’ve said this before, this election will not be as sexy as the first one," said Obama. "Back then, I was--it was still fresh and new, and I didn’t have any gray hair and everybody loved the 'Hope' posters and all that. But this time it’s: We’ve got to grind it out a little bit. We’ve got to grind it out.
"But the cause is the same, and my passion is the same, and my commitment is the same," said Obama.
On Tuesday, still in California, Obama will sit down with Jay Leno for an interview scheduled to air on NBC’s “Tonight Show” on Tuesday evening. After that, he’ll speak a fundraiser in San Francisco before heading to Colorado.