Michelle Obama campaign stop rakes in $300,000, shows Democrat support in Collier

By JENNA BUZZACCO-FOERSTER
Posted April 30, 2012 at 5:41 p.m.

A visit from first lady Michelle Obama last week raised about $300,000 for her husband's reelection, according to a source close to the campaign.

But just as importantly, local backers said it showed there is support for the president and for Democrats in majority-Republican Collier County.

The first lady was in town on Friday for a private fundraiser in downtown Naples. The event — held at the Inn on Fifth — was attended by about 200 people who paid $1,000 and up to hear Obama speak about her husband's achievements.

Phil McCabe, owner of the Inn on Fifth, said campaign officials told him the fundraiser raised about $300,000 and it was "considered a very successful event."

"There are Democrats in Naples," said McCabe, who supported Obama in 2008 but is undecided about who he'll support in the 2012 presidential race.

Olivia Alair, the first lady's press secretary, said Monday in an email to the Daily News the "campaign doesn't provide estimate totals on a per event basis." Instead, the total amount raised is disclosed in monthly Federal Election Commission reports.

Ira Sharp, past president of the Collier County Democratic Club, attended the event, and said he "thought the turnout was terrific."

Obama was in town for about three hours, during which she met with schoolchildren at the Naples Municipal Airport and about 200 campaign volunteers and supporters at the Golden Gate Community Center.

Sharp said Friday's event showed there was support for Obama in Collier County.

PHOTO BY SCOTT MCINTYRE

Scott McIntyre/Staff First Lady Michelle Obama meets with students from Avalon Elementary School and Mike Davis Elementary School when she arrived in Naples on Friday April 27, 2012.

"I think they're seeing a big uptick in people that are interested," he said. "It's too early to see what the trends are ... but I think there's a lot of enthusiasm."

That enthusiasm, Sharp said, could translate into more campaign stops in Southwest Florida as the campaign heats up.

Still, hundreds of thousands dollars pale in comparison to what Republican candidates have raised over the years in Collier County. When President George W. Bush visited in April 2004, supporters were invited to attend a $25,000-a-plate luncheon at the home of Jack Donahue. That event, according to an April 24, 2004 report in the Daily News, brought in $2.9 million.

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