Michelle Obama gets warm reception in conservative Southwest Florida today.

[madfloridian]

Ft. Myers is fairly conservative, yet they appear to have welcomed her in a very warm way. There is a slideshow of pictures as well. Later in the day she was in Orlando, have not heard more about that yet.

Michelle Obama gets warm reception


Special To News-press.com City Manager William Mitchell and Mayor James Humphrey present Michelle Obama with the key to the city. Michelle Obama greeted guests at a VIP breakfast reception this morning at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre before speaking to a sold-out crowd

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."

Glad to see CFO Alex Sink with her. She has a lot of influence here.

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.

I believe she was in Miami earlier, and in Orlando this evening at higher end fundraiser.