Several thousand waited in overnight lines to see the president in conservative Ft. Myers.

[madfloridian]

They came from all around mostly conservative (or used to be) Southwest Florida to wait in long lines. Only a few hundred got tickets, the rest were not too happy.

Waiting in line

Many who waited were homeless.


Photo: Michel Fortier/Naples Daily News
Danio Barkhorst, 19 center, and Angel Reyes, 19, right, drove over from Miami, arriving at the Harborside Convention Center at 8pm on Sunday hoping to acquire tickets for President Barack Obama's address Tuesday. "I know how it feels to be homeless now," said Reyes who braved the chilly overnight conditions.

The event center box office began distributing the tickets at 9 a.m. At 9:25 the tickets were gone.

By 9:40 a.m. a crowd of about 40 gathered in front of local television news cameras, chanting, “We want tickets!”

Several in line estimated that only 200 to 400 people passed through the line before the ticket supply was exhausted.

“I got here at 2 a.m. and there’s no way more than 400 people even went through,” said Naples resident Myriam Hagen. “I did the counting when I got here because I drove all the way from Naples and wanted to make sure I’d get tickets. This is disrespectful to the people.”

John Wray of Fort Myers did get tickets and said those angered by the ticket shortage are mistaken.

“I was here all night and there were well over 600 people in line last night,” he said. “When I went through the line it looked like most people were getting two tickets.”

Photo: Michel Fortier/Naples Daily News
First in line, Roy Hendrix pumps his fist in celebration as the ticket booth
opened at 9am Monday at Harborside Convention Center for tickets to hear
President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Several thousand people waited in line,
hoping to acquire tickets to hear President Barack Obama address the
economic woes in Southwest Florida.

From the article it appears that the president did not get the expected visit to Lehigh Acres after all. That is the Ft. Myers area recently featured in the NYT with the title Despair and foreclosures in Florida. Boomtown to Bust.

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Desperation has moved into this once-middle-class exurb of Fort Myers, where hammers used to pound. Its straight-ahead stare was hidden amid the chatter of 221 families waiting for free bread at Faith Lutheran Church on a recent Friday morning; and it appeared a block away a few days earlier, as laid-off construction workers in flannel shirts scavenged through trash bags at a home foreclosure, grabbing wires, CDs, anything that could be sold.

“I knew it was coming,” said Gloria Chilson, 56, the former owner of the house, as she watched strangers pick through her belongings. “You take what you can; you try not to care.”

Welcome to the American dream in high reverse. Lehigh Acres is one of countless sprawling exurbs that the housing boom drastically reshaped, and now the bust is testing whether the experience of shared struggle will pull people together or tear them apart.

President Obama is the one they are turning to as they lose their hopes and dreams. I wish him well. It is an awesomely difficult job.

[onethatcares]

1. I heard his speech today.

I was amazed to hear the "YES WE CAN" chant in the background prior to President Obama speaking. I used to work in that neck of Florida and never thought it would turn from repuke hell to what it sounded like today. Remember though, this is crazykatherines' backyard, the people can turn on a dime.

I wish President Obama the best too, I want the same for my country.

Peace

[madfloridian]

4. Went 55% for Bush.

Even higher I think in 2000.

[madfloridian]

5. In fact, just heard on MSNBC that Obama lost there by 11%.

Very conservative area.

[deaniac21]

2. I'll bet Howard Dean wasn't one of them.

[monmouth]

3. Those despicable nutjobs who claimed that Mrs. Hughes was a "setup for

Obama" can now see how many homeless were there. No setup here, just everyday people with trouble trying to find a light at the end of the tunnel. Praying it's not a train... Thank you for posting this.

[madfloridian]

6. Yes, one of the hardest hit areas of Florida, an area that trusted Bush

so completely.

Many are waiting for that light at the end of the tunnel.

:hi:

[snowbear]

8. Someone seriously claimed she was a plant !?!?

.
.

Good f'n grief!



-

[madfloridian]

9. I think it was one of the right wing radio hosts. Not sure.

They really did.

[madfloridian]

7. Good picture of the line. Good to see a turnout like that for a Democrat.

especially in this area of Florida.



Photo: Michel Fortier/Naples Daily News

Several thousand people waited in line Monday, some arriving as early as Sunday morning, hoping to acquire tickets and hear President Barack Obama address the economic woes in Southwest Florida during a town hall meeting scheduled for Tuesday at Harborside Convention Center in Fort Myers.

[madfloridian]

10. Obama's words in Ft. Myers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/politics/10text-obama.html

I had an email from an old friend who was there. She said it was so exciting. Still amazed at his reception there.

He was impressive.

Note: I just posted something that is not negative. Rejoice and shout.

I also posted about the Patas monkeys in FL, and that was not negative. Rejoice again.