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As any of the 21,000 people who packed his rally in KeyArena could tell you, Sen. Barack Obama gets big crowds -- and gets them excited.
Now a blog post this week by a conservative radio talk show host asking whether faintings at five Obama rallies are coincidence or sly campaign trickery is riling up the political blogosphere. The Wall Street Journal linked to James Vicevich's blog in its Thursday Best of the Web roundup. And today, Seattle radio host Dori Monson brought the issue home on the air and in a blog post:
Is it phoney, orchestrated campaign theatrics or is it merely physiological coincidence? You be the judge.
P-I photographer Josh Trujillo was at the rally and captured a moment when the senator, part way through his speech, tossed a water bottle at a woman who was fainting near the platform (see the photo gallery). Trujillo also photographed Sen. Hillary Clinton's Seattle visit the previous day, where he saw two women faint and leave on stretchers. At long, crowded events like this year's political rallies, he said, it's bound to happen.
"There are always people that faint. Guaranteed," Trujillo said. "When somebody has to stand at one spot, at a view up front of their candidate, and they wait hours upon hours with no water, no food, it's expected and understandable."
A full house of 5,000 people made it hot and stuffy at the Pier 30 warehouse where Sen. Clinton spoke Feb. 7. He saw two adult women on the floor from his bird's-eye-view spot on a raised platform. One fainted before Clinton spoke and another lay down around the the time Clinton took the stage, but was most likely too far from the candidate for her to notice, Trujillo said. His view of the woman at the Obama rally was obstructed by the crowd.
Doors opened to supporters at the Obama event just after 10 a.m. The senator began his 50-minute speech after 1 p.m. Trujillo arrived at 9:30 a.m..
"We have to get there hours in advance. If we're not smart enough to take food and water, then by the time the candidate comes out, we're feeling a little faint," he said. He took a water bottle to each rally.
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Posted by rightturns at 2/15/08 5:32 p.m.
except that Dori Munson is a liberal.