Obama's Advisor Headed to South Suburbs for Fundraiser

David Axelrod will be in the South Suburbs next week for a fundraiser supporting President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

Axelrod is not a household name, but many who closely followed Obama's 2008 campaign have heard of him. He was the then-candidate's campaign advisor, who picked up the title "Senior Advisor to the President" after the election. Axelrod is now back on the campaign trail.

"He is the architect for the ‘08 campaign," said Wendell Mosby, a Chicago Heights native and co-chair for Gen44 helping to promote Axelrod's visit.

Gen44 is an under-40 fundraising program under Obama for America and it is comprised of "next generation of leaders, young entrepreneurs, social innovators and activists," according to the Obama's campaign Website.

Mosby, who has been a part of the organization since 2011, said despite Axelrod's presence, the event is not solely aimed at getting Obama reelected. He describes it as a chance to galvanize the Southland, playing up the exclusivity of meeting Axelrod in a smaller setting.

"To have unprecedented access... Mr. Benny’s can’t hold a thousand people, so it’s going to be an intimate group," Mosby said. "People can look at this guy and hear what he has to say and maybe have an opportunity for some questions and answers."

In discussing the event, Mosby kept referring to a "voter apathy" seen through a sharp reduction in voters in the years following the 2008 elections.

The trustee said he wants people to care about the state and county level elections as much as the presidential one, adding that it can be difficult to organize an inspiring event for young people in the South Suburbs.

"In Chicago, it’s easy to put an event on at a lounge and make politics sexy," Mosby said. "In the ‘burbs, you have to be way more creative in how you make politics sexy for a young professional. That’s what I’m really looking to do."

Co-hosts for the event include, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., State Sen. Toi Hutchinson and State Rep. Anthony DeLuca.

The fundraiser will be at Mr. Benny's in Matteson and general admission tickets are $100.