Obama Says 2012 Choice Is Stark It is a political truism: fear is a major motivator for voters. And President Obama wants supporters to know that whoever emerges from the blood bath of the Republican primaries, that presidential nominee will be much farther to the right than Mr. Obama's 2008 opponent, Senator John McCain. "This year is going to be as stark a choice as we have seen - a starker choice than we saw in 2008," he told donors, who paid at least $15,000 to see him on Thursday night at the restaurant Daniel on New York's Upper East Side. "I mean, think about it," Mr. Obama continued. In 2008, I was running against a Republican nominee who agreed that we should ban torture, agreed that we should close Guantánamo, believed in climate change, had worked on immigration reform. And so as profound as the differences were between myself and John McCain, there was some sense of convergence when it came to some very important issues. But, he added, the Republican debates have shown this year's candidates to be on the opposite and far-right side of those questions and more. Just his mention of the debates draws laughter from Mr. Obama's partisan audiences, mindful of the conservative red meat that the Republican rivals have competed to dish out. But the president's larger point was a serious one that he repeated as he moved through four fundraisers in Manhattan, in a dry-run for a campaign theme. "We have not seen a choice this stark in years," he said to enthusiastic applause and laughter at his final appearance Thursday before a diverse audience of an estimated 1,400 people, who paid at least $100 each to see him at the Apollo Theater, Harlem's African-American landmark. "I mean, even in 2008 the Republican nominee wasn't a climate-change denier," Mr. Obama said, to more laughter. Expanding on the contrast, he added that Republicans had "a very specific idea about where they want to take this country." "They want to reduce the deficit by gutting our investments in education, by gutting our investments in research and technology, by letting our roads and our bridges and our airports deteriorate," he said. "I've already signed a trillion dollars" worth of spending cuts, proposed even more. And I think it's time for us to reduce the deficit by asking those of us who are most fortunate to pay their fair share. That final allusion to his proposal for higher taxes on the richest Americans sparked the loudest applause of the evening. The fear factor about the eventual Republican nominee was mixed in Mr. Obama's remarks about his domestic and foreign policy achievements, including his claim to have restored the United States as the world's "sole indispensable power," and his pleas for more time to press for changes in education, the tax code and other areas to spread opportunity more broadly. And the only way we're going to accomplish it is to win this election. We could not have a sharper contrast this year than is going to be presented," Mr. Obama said at another event, a $35,800-a-person dinner at the Manhattan townhouse of the movie director Spike Lee with about 45 guests, including the singer Mariah Carey and the retired New York Knicks player Allan Houston. Then, because he was speaking even as the Republican candidates were debating in South Carolina, Mr. Obama added with a mischievous look, "And if some of you want to wander off to watch the debate - if you need some motivation - feel free." Amid laughter, one diner called out, "No, thank you!" Mr. Obama seemed even looser when he next took the Apollo's stage. After thanking singers Al Green and India.Arie for warming up the crowd, Mr. Obama soulfully - and uncharacteristically - began singing one line from a Green hit, "Let's Stay Together." Grinning almost sheepishly, he looked to someone unseen behind the stage curtain and said, "I told you I was going to do it." He added, "Sandman did not come out!"- a reference to the late Howard Sims, known as "Sandman," who was famous for literally giving the hook to bad acts on the televised "Showtime at the Apollo." So uncharacteristic was Mr. Obama's brief crooning that on Friday morning his White House communications director, Dan Pfeiffer, tweeted: "I have worked for President Obama for 5 years and until last night, I had no idea that he could sing."