Alex Okrent Dead: Obama Campaign Worker Dies After Collapsing At Headquarters

[Tx4obama]

Source: Huffington Post

A 29-year-old Obama campaign staffer died Friday after "collapsing" in the president's campaign headquarters in Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Alex Okrent was a veteran of two earlier Obama campaigns, having worked on the president's 2008 campaign, and his 2004 Senate bid before that. Okrent was employed in the campaign's paid media department at the time of his death.

After he collapsed, Chicago paramedics were called to the Obama headquarters in the Prudential Building where he was given emergency treatment. Okrent was then taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Obama was campaigning in southern Virginia this afternoon, when he learned about Okrent's death," according to USA Today. The president reportedly offered his condolences to Okrent's family during a phone conversation shortly thereafter, and addressed his Chicago staff about the tragedy on a conference call.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/alex-okrent-dead-obama-campaign-worker-dies_n_1672673.html

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R.I.P.

[Tx4obama]

1. Link to a Chicago article regarding the death

Here: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13760238-418/obama-campaign-worker-collapses-at-chicago-campaign-hq-and-later-dies.html

[Faygo Kid]

2. How tragic. And here will come the Vince Foster crowd . . .

Screw 'em. How awful to die so young.

[Kelvin Mace]

3. Conspiracy mongering in 4...3...2...1...

You know the usual suspects will be all over this.

[banned from Kos]

6. No CT from me. The right wing idiots who claim Breitbart was murdered can

run with CT all they want.

Too bad a young man died in the prime of life. RIP.

[Kelvin Mace]

19. I didn't mean you

I meant those very people you mention.

[MADem]

4. How very sad--much too young. I am speculating it was a heart issue?

When I was in entry-level military training, a kid of about that age and stage died during a "fun run." He looked healthy as a horse, and he dropped and died without warning, much like Len Bias on the court in Boston.

His family must be devastated.

[RobertEarl]

20. Cesium?

There are reports that cesium from nuke plant explosions can go right to the heart and cause problems.

People who were kids when Chernobyl exploded are very susceptible being that cesium from that 1986 explosion made its way around the world.

[southernyankeebelle]

5. Anyone know yet what he died from? He is young. How sad.

[coffeenap]

15. Local radio is reporting it was a heart attack.

Condolences to his family.

[southernyankeebelle]

16. Wow sure alot of heart attacks of young people. I have a heart condition and I am 64. I thank

god everyday I get up and put my feet on the ground.

[Hulk]

7. A shame! RIP

Always so sad when one dies so young. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

[JI7]

8. way too young

[Historic NY]

9. Condolences to his family, friends and the OFA staff....gone too sone.

[Tx4obama]

10. Below is the tweet that President Obama personally sent out this evening

Barack Obama ?@BarackObama

A beloved member of our campaign family, Alex Okrent, passed away today. Our prayers are with his loved ones. We will miss you, Alex. -bo

https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/223964635265630208

p.s. When it is a tweet from President Obama (and not a campaign person) he signs them '-bo'

[Paka]

11. Sad indeed.

To go so young. Condolences to his family and co-workers. He will be missed.

[renate]

13. how incredibly sad...

I can't imagine the horror and shock of losing a friend or loved one so suddenly and so young.

To give credit where credit is due, Romney did a classy thing:
Obama’s November opponent, Mitt Romney, offered his condolences, saying via Twitter: “Ann & I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Alex Okrent. Prayers are with Alex’s loved ones and the entire Obama campaign team.”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/13760238-418/obama-campaign-worker-collapses-at-chicago-campaign-hq-and-later-dies.html

In contrast to his supporters, who felt it was appropriate to hijack a thread in such a way that the Sun-Times had to turn off commenting. Who DOES that kind of thing? What kind of subhuman object would take the time and energy to write something so bad that comments had to be deleted on a thread about an innocent person's death, for his friends and family to see? Sickening.

My sincere condolences to everyone who knew Alex. This is so sad.

[tpsbmam]

17. Response from David Axelrod:

@davidaxelrod
David Axelrod
@MittRomney Thank you, governor. Alex was a beloved member of our team. It's been a very emotional day.

[Doctor_J]

14. What would Alex Jones do without this kind of stuff?

How sad. Is he related to Daniel Okrent of the NYT and Rotisserie BB?

[DonCoquixote]

18. No disprect to any soliders

But there is more than one way to die for your country, and more than one type of person that deserves accolades as a martyr.
Godspeed.