Actor and comedian Cedric Kyles, best known as “Cedric the Entertainer,” told The Daily Caller that President Barack Obama’s celebrity fundraisers are “necessary” and do not conflict with his campaign’s message of fighting for the middle class.
TheDC asked Kyles if Obama’s celebrity events, specifically the $40,000 per ticket fundraiser with actor George Clooney, could hurt him in the upcoming election against presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
“It’s fundraising. I mean, fundraising is fundraising. When you are raising funds, you raise funds. I mean, those kinds of dinners are necessary,” Kyles told TheDC at a screening of his new TV Land sitcom, “The Soul Man.”
“George Clooney is a fan. He’s someone who wants to support him [Obama]. He wanted to do a dinner. It made sense to do. You do that. It’s fundraising. You’re running for president right now. You can’t hold that over my head. I’ve got to get the money.”
TheDC also asked the “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” star if he is satisfied with Obama’s work so far in his first term.
“Personally, I would say yes in the sense that to me, when the country — excuse me for this — but when he came into office there was a lot of things going on. The expectation that those monumental-type items can be righted in three years with the type of fighting back against the other party is tough, and it’s not to say that anybody is right — it’s just tough to do a job like that,” he said.
“To me, this country is going back in the right direction. Is there arguments for the opposite? Maybe, but for me I’m good — I’m good with the job he’s done. I think he needs the opportunity to be able to continue to finish the work.”
Cedric the Entertainer is one of the four comedians featured in Spike Lee’s “The Original Kings of Comedy.” When asked if Obama is easy or more difficult to joke about compared to past presidents, Kyles said he does not joke “at” Obama.
“Usually the jokes I have about President Barack Obama is a little more endearing. I mean, you know, I’ve got love for him. I’ve got passion for him so I do material about him but not usually, like, jokes at him,” he told TheDC.
“It’s stuff that I can figure out in the news and I twist it into a favorable kind of energy but yeah, he’s still fun because he’s getting attacks on all fronts so there’s stuff to talk about.”