Michelle Obama charms Southwest Florida

July 25, 2008

By BETTY PARKER
special to news-press.com

Delivering her husband's message of change, Michelle Obama starred Thursday at what's thought to be Southwest Florida's largest Democratic event in modern times.

Almost 600 people jammed the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre to hear Michelle Obama, wife of presumptive Democratic nominee Barack, deliver a 21-minute speech, preceded by breakfast, and a photo session with each of about 100 major donors.

Organizers said the event raised about $200,000, not only from admission that started at $100 - a $500 check got the donor a photo with Michelle Obama and a chance to say a few words as the picture was taken - but from those who wrote additional checks after hearing her speech.

"She's so eloquent, and you can tell she speaks from the heart," said Dena Geraghty of Fort Myers. "She has that gift of making you feel like an old friend, like she is truly interested in what you have to say. And of course, what she has to say is so important for the whole country."

At the start of her speech, Michelle Obama acknowledged the death of Fort Myers policeman Andrew Widman, saying she and her husband "honor his service and commitment to protect this community. ... Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends," she said.

She then spoke about her own family, how thankful she is for her mother's help while she does limited traveling, always planning to be home in Chicago by late afternoon when their daughters come home from school or summer camp.

Most of Michelle Obama's appearances are one-day trips, campaign staff said, although on this visit, she was in Orlando and Miami on Wednesday other fundraisers. She stayed overnight in Miami Beach, then flew to Fort Myers, and flew home immediately after her speech.

She talked about her first date with Obama, when he wooed her by taking her to see his work with a lower-income community, organizing for better schools and better jobs.

And she talked about her initial refusal when her husband first approached her with his plans to run for president.

"I was afraid," she said, saying she was concerned about the effect on the family. "But then I thought about the world I want to leave for our children. This race isn't about us. It's about them."

Barack Obama is working for a vision of "America as it should be," she repeated throughout her speech. It's as country "where any American who's willing to work hard can earn a decent living for their family; where folks won't go bankrupt just because someone gets sick; where all of our children have access to world-class public education .... That's the world Barack Obama is fighting for."

Obama's emphasis on health care resonated with Dorothy Cascio, a south Fort Myers resident who attended wearing a "Republican for Obama" button. While Cascio is registered with the GOP, she said, "the Republican Party has been hijacked by special interests and the religious far right."

She's opposed to the war in Iraq, opposed to what she sees as the current administration's attacks on privacy - and having a hard time finding health insurance because of previous health problems.

"We've got to see some big changes in this country, and he's the one to do it," Cascio said of Obama.

Big turnout

Southwest Florida's voter rolls are dominated by Republicans - 137,018 to 87,692 Democrats in Lee - and for years Democratic candidates have generally ceded this part of Florida to the GOP. But the Obama campaign - aided by record-breaking fundraising success - is reaching out to such areas far more than campaigns of the past, said Adrianne Marsh, a spokeswoman for Obama's Florida campaign.

"You're going to see Obama in a lot of places where you may not have seen many Democratic candidates in the past," she said. "His message is one of inclusion, and his policies resonate with people. So we're taking that message to some nontraditional" campaign locations.

Fort Myers Mayor Jim Humphrey, another prominent Republican, gave Michelle Obama the key to the city. She thanked Humphrey from the stage for his warm welcome.

Florida's Democratic CFO Alex Sink was on hand to introduce Michelle Obama, and Sink, too, noted the exceptional turnout in a Republican stronghold.

"There are still a lot of Democrats here," Sink said, adding that she did very well in Southwest Florida in her election two years ago. "The numbers of independents are also very strong here, so moderate candidates like Obama and myself can do very well."

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While there was no mingling other than the interaction during photos - which subjects were told would be posted on the Internet - and no question-and-answer session, no one in the crowd seemed to complain.

Fort Myers resident Madeleine Plummer was among the large donors who got a photo with Michelle Obama and had a chance to speak briefly with her.

"She's so personable and down to earth, but at the same time she's so inspirational," Plummer said. "She talked about all the right things."

Attorney Jane Lane also gave Michelle Obama high grades from that vantage point.

"I knew she's very articulate, but her argument is delivered even more skillfully than I expected," Lane said. "She developed that theme of family and America as it should be, and she kept repeating it in ways that really drew people in."

Cole Peacock, who handles government relations for Chico's, was a co-host for the event, and called the crowd turnout in July, when so many are away, phenomenal.

"There's a really good mix of Republicans here along with the Democrats," said Peacock, who's been involved in area politics for more than 10 years. "She has such a great message. To hear her talk about America as it should be, those are such great things to think about doing, not just for ourselves, but for our children."