Obama draws close to 20,000 in Sunrise, Florida today.

Capping a whirlwind 24 hours of fundraising and wooing key constituencies across vote-rich South Florida, Barack Obama on Friday pumped up an already enthusiastic crowd at a massive rally with calls for change, some criticism of John McCain, and a promise to return.

If they weren't already smitten, an estimated 16,000 people who came to the BankAtlantic Center were ready to fall in love — and they didn't leave disappointed.

"It was electrifying," said Jennifer Caton, a stay-at-home mom from Fort Lauderdale. "If he can deliver, he's the man, he's the one. I'm feeling hopeful he will live up to his word." At age 59, Diane Nickum, of Davie, is in a demographic group that gives Hillary Clinton passionate support. But Nickum is with Obama.

Obama's 39-minute speech, delivered by a candidate who paced back and forth across the stage, holding what he called an Oprah-style microphone, was frequently interrupted with applause and cheers. The audience was extraordinarily diverse for a political rally, reflecting the demographic makeup of Broward County, in which the Caucasian population is a minority.

"When we are unified, Sunshine, no one can stop us. There is no challenge we cannot meet, no destiny we cannot fulfill," Obama said. "I regret that we couldn't have campaigned here earlier. But I promise you we're going to make up for lost time."