Money-grabbing Michelle claims Obama's "message is one of inclusion"; charges FIVE HUNDRED BUCKS for a photo with her
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."...
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.
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.
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