Barack Obama, Larry David and the fainting woman*

* Or, When not to crack a joke

As observed this morning by our colleague Maria La Ganga, who has spent so much time on the Obama campaign bus they're thinking about engraving her name on a seat:

Barack Obama's first and only rally on election day came to a sudden and lengthy stop when a young woman in the Dartmouth College gym fainted, and was eventually rolled off on a gurney by emergency medical technicians.

At first Obama half-narrated the episode, saying soothing things like, "She's OK," "She's talking." But the longer she lay on the floor, the quieter Obama got, standing on the podium, arms folded, looking worried as the medical crew worked.

A gum-chomping Larry David, in town to help with Obama's get-out-the-vote campaign, paced the edge of the student-filled gym, muttering. "How can I restrain myself?" he said to anyone who would listen. "I have such a great line.... Should I yell something out?"

Finally, he did: "Sinatra had the same effect on people!" "I was trying to break the tension," he said later. "I don't think they knew who Sinatra was."

La Ganga reports that the audience didn't laugh, while Obama seemed to snicker -- and looked even more uncomfortable.

-- Scott Martelle

UPDATE -- La Ganga reports that the young woman who passed out is a Dartmouth student. The college would not release her name, but said that she was taken to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for treatment.

"As far as we know, she's fine," said Genevieve Haas, college spokeswoman.

Comments

[Vincent]

What's best about this is how easily it's imagined as an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

[ProblemWithCaring]

Hilariously awkward.

Almost as awkward as when David's wife attacked Barry's cousin, Cheney.

[Liz Wetzel]

Great God, now if Obama win would be a worst president than Bush. Singing, dancing Obama, hobnobbing with Oprah. Really people, help ourselves please.

Remember the good old CLINTON Days? Bring it back.

What we need is another Clinton era where the worst morality scandal is an oral sex. WE dont need another REPUBLICAN era where there are gay REPUBLICAN senators, congressmen and judges preying on our kids. GET A clue people. OBAMA is easy to beat. The republicans are playing another trick on you.

[jim]

Oh my god. Larry David is Larry David in REAL LIFE??

[Bright]

Obama is Muslim and his cousin is Cheny...enough said.

[Plus15]

Let's all remember the brilliant Larry David is a comedian. Like all comedians he is programmed by his daily life, responsibility and experience to automatically come up with a funny or to you skewed way of analyzing, commenting, reacting to events. Each of us and each comedian or person with a sense of humor and wit has a different style or sense of the absurd or way of framing his observation. If there were ten comedians, comedy writers, humorists, political cartoonists in the rear of the auditorium near Larry each would have processed the scene from their own mental comic viewpoint. Larry David's sense of humor resides as we all know at the genius level. You were lucky, you were standing near Larry David and heard his version. So lighten up and chill out. So far despite the big crowds he's reportedly been drawing in New Hampshire nobody following Larry David around has fainted. Yet.

[Turner D]

Liz Wetzel is so funny. And you think Hillary is not easily beat? The Republicans are dying to have a chance to take Hillary down. And now that she cries because it is so hard, you think she will survive a full head on attack from the Republicans?

Please...join us in the 21st century. It's time to move on...We need change and Obama is it! We don't need a cry-baby as the nominee.

[Culturalist Posterchild]

This was an unfortunate event at a campaign rally with a happy ending, nothing more. The girl fainted during his speech, probably from slight dehydration and a huge crush on the man, Obama reacted by stopping his speech, handed down some water and made sure she was in good hands and OK. Simple, folks, think simple.

I took two things from it. Obama is a caring person and can handle pressure better than some of his campaign staff. What would you have done in his situation? I would certainly reprimand the staffer.

O BAM A!!! O BAM A!!! O BAM A!!!

[Y.Lazlo]

"What we need is another Clinton era where the worst morality scandal is an oral sex."

Pardoning a guy who gave over a million dollars to your party and library but also happened to be on the lam was pretty bad morals.

The pardon of a drug king pin and a mail order scammer who paid your brother in law (Hugh Rodham) 500,000 dollars for "legal services" was pretty bad morals as well.

Not to mention that neither pardon went through the normal channels at the justice department and the said scammer was under investigation for OTHER crimes at the time as well.

Saying Clinton's only transgression was just a bit of hanky-panky with an intern is like saying OJ's only crime was his acting in The Naked Gun.

[maggie]

Has anyone noticed that there have been about 4 different Obama Rallies where a woman in the front has "fainted" and Obama has passed her a bottle of water and said things like "give her some air" "Is she OK?

I was at the Rally in Hartford CT last week - same thing happened-- also happened in Seattle

[Ted]

"Has anyone noticed"

Yes, it's a standard tent revival trick to show passion for Obama, and compassion from him.

HOWEVER,

This one might be for real.

1. I think a party flunkie, not a college student, would be used for the con, and,

2. Obama got worried about the girl. Nothing wrong about being worried for her health but at the other stagings he showed planned, passionate "command and control" and composure. Key passage:

"At first Obama half-narrated the episode, saying soothing things like, "She's OK," "She's talking." But the longer she lay on the floor, the quieter Obama got, standing on the podium, arms folded, looking worried as the medical crew worked."

Maybe Obama got worried she was a plant like the others, but something went wrong...which would be scrutinized by the press.

A girl collapsed at a Hillary Clinton rally in Arizona who Chelsea assisted immediately. However, it didn't look fake, the girl collapsed and got back up fast--though woozy. It was hot and the local press reported other elderly and children had to leave the hall.