Caren Lobo

Caren Lobo knew she was supporting the right presidential candidate the first time she spoke at length with Barack Obama, at a Sarasota fundraiser she coordinated last April. "He's one of those people who has that gift of making you feel you're the only person in the room," she says. It was a validating moment for the Illinois native and co-founder of Sarasota News & Books. Lobo, who's now on Obama's national finance committee, took a few minutes to offer her thoughts on:

How she got hooked:

I started hearing about him right before the 2004 convention, and so we made a point of seeing him speak at that convention. And it was one of those electrifying moments, where you say, "Is this for real? Because if this is for real, we want a lot more of this."

Why Obama:

He listens. And he brings disparate opinions together. He solves problems, he gets things done, and he doesn't just play the Blame Game. ... As much respect as I have for Mrs. Clinton, she may be able to eke out a victory, but she wont be able to govern the way he would.

The impact of moving up the primary date:

The fact that there's been no campaign in Florida and you still see this kind of huge financial support is testimony of the strength of the candidate.

Her (apparently sole) reservation about Obama:

[long pause] I think he could be more articulate in terms of his policies vis-à-vis the Latino community. I think that could be strengthened.