At an event in Ohio today, someone fainted while President Obama was speaking, and he handled it with poise. “I’m sure they’re okay. Sometimes folks faint because they’ve been standing too long,” he said, and he would know, having spoken for millions of people, thousands of times, all around the world. “So we just need a paramedic right here in the front. They’ll be okay, just give them room. That’s all.”
But then he added, “This happens to me all the time,” to a laugh from the crowd, and you can literally see the panic wash over his face as he realizes he’s said something that can be misinterpreted or taken out of context. After a brief pause, the president — thinking on his feet — threw in some self-deprecation: “It means I’ve been talking too long,” he added. Good save! Now he’s definitely safe.
