Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Scarlett Johansson Rallies For Obama: '2012 Will Not Be Easy'

Actress teams up with Vogue's Anna Wintour for 'Runway to Win' fashion fundraiser.
By Uptin Saiidi


Scarlett Johansson before attending <i>Runway to Win</i> Tuesday night
Photo: Alo Ceballos/FilmMagic

Scarlett Johansson, a vocal Barack Obama supporter during his first election campaign, lent a hand to the President's re-election run on Tuesday night. The actress co-hosted a fundraiser event with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour at a Theory store in New York City, where they also promoted new merchandise.

The "Runway to Win" event brought together 23 of the biggest fashion designers, all of whom designed Obama swag to sell in support of the campaign. According to the Huffington Post, Johansson gave a talk in which she ticked off Obama's various accomplishments in the last three years, from signing the Fair Pay Act to ending Don't Ask Don't Tell.

But while the actress has been supportive during the president's first term, some of Obama's A-list supporters have been slower to sign on again. The "We Bought a Zoo" star seemed to hope the fashion project will help reignite hope.

"There is so much at stake in this campaign," Johansson said in a press release. "2012 will not be easy. We have to fight even harder this time around, and that's where Runway to Win will make a real difference."

The campaign collection includes merchandise, like tote bags, designed by Marc Jacobs, Sean John, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles, Derek Lam, Diane Von Furstenburg and Tory Burch. Supporters can also buy T-shirts designed by Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and Tracy Reese.

While the items will certainly run you more than your average T-shirt (tees are going for about $45), the prices are still lower than what merch from these designer brand typically costs. The Obama campaign hopes bringing on fashion leaders will encourage more Americans to become involved in the president's movement.The Runway to Win online store lists items by designer; all proceeds go to the Obama Victory fund, a committee authorized by Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen who will face Obama at the ballot box in November. In last night's GOP primary, Rick Santorum came out on top, sweeping wins in three states and coming out ahead of presumed front-runner Mitt Romney.

Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage of the primaries and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the 2012 presidential election season.

Mía Maestro Michael Michele Michelle Behennah Michelle Branch

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