WASHINGTON - September 26, 2011 - Businessman Herman Cain is enjoying the spoils of Saturday’s upset victory in the Florida straw poll, riding the momentum to increased media exposure - and more fundraising dollars.

The former Godfather’s Pizza CEO won the poll with 37% of the more than 2,600 votes cast - more than double any other candidate, including presumptive front-runner Rick Perry, who devoted substantial resources to the contest.

For Cain’s part, he sees the victory as validation of his message - and his perception of media as too absorbed with anointing Perry, the governor of Texas, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination.

“Look, the voice of the people is more powerful than the voice of the media. The message is more important than money,” Cain said in an interview Monday on NBC’s Today show.

Cain might be able to parlay the Florida victory into both more media exposure and more money.

The candidate spent Monday doing a wave of press - in addition to the Today show interview, he appeared twice on CNN, once on Fox, and on four nationally syndicated conservative radio shows. Influential conservative author Ann Coulter tweeted in support of his candidacy.

On Dennis Miller’s program, the host pledged to Cain that not only would he make a financial contribution to the campaign, he would also headline a fundraiser in Los Angeles. The campaign’s donation website nearly crashed Monday morning from a traffic overload; Cain said on Fox News that traffic was 10 times previous levels.

“Our fundraising in the past week is the best we’ve ever had, even better than the week of our announcement,” said campaign spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael. “He had a day full of media already, and he has tons more scheduled this week.”