Leah Kauffman, the singer-songwriter behind the 2008 “Obama girl” hit video, is back with a new pro-Obama song, “Still Got a Crush on Obama.”
Out just in time for President Barack Obama’s Democratic National Convention speech in Charlotte, the song’s music video is missing something, though: the infamous “Obama girl.”
Actress Amber Lee Ettinger, who lip-synced Kauffman’s 2008 song, had recently expressed disappointment with Obama’s presidency and said she might not vote for her former crush.
In an interview with The Daily Caller this summer, Ettinger said she’s “not as excited as I was the last time, that’s for sure.”
Then, in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Ettinger gave Obama a “B-minus” for his work as president and said she had an “infatuation” with the president in 2008.
In the new “Still Got a Crush” song, Kauffman plays the Obama girl part herself. A publicist for the video suggested to Politico that Ettinger was not asked to participate.
“Amber, who is now pursuing acting, isn’t involved at all,” the publicist said. “This is something Leah has wanted to do completely on her own. She and Amber have remained on good terms.”
The Huffington Post downplayed Obama girl’s absence as well, saying Kauffman was the “actual brains and pipes behind the 2008 hit.”
In a separate video, Kauffman confirmed she still believes in the president.
“This song comes from a place of sincerity,” Kauffman said. “Obama’s created a lot of great changes over the last four years, and I hope he has the chance to influence the next four.”
UPDATE: After this story was published, Ettinger told The Daily Caller in an email that she was asked to star in Leah Kauffman’s video but ultimately declined. “Since it was the same concept, I passed,” Ettinger wrote. “Can’t do it twice!”