Obama lampoons GOP candidates with joke about dealing with Putin

The president left a crowd of more than 1,300 in stitches on Monday night at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, home to the hit musical “Hamilton’’ about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. The cast staged a special performance for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, with Obama as the encore.READ MORE: GOP suspends partnership with NBC News after criticized CNBC debateDeviating from his typical fundraiser spiel, Obama said the 2016 Republican presidential candidates seem to “occupy a different reality’’ in which the country has taken a perilous turn since he took office nearly seven years ago.“According to them, everything was really good in 2008, when we were going through the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes,’’ Obama said. “This, apparently, was the golden age that I messed up.’’“And they’re so glum,’’ Obama added, barely containing his feelings about the Republican cast of characters seeking his job. “They’re really so frustrated.’’READ MORE: Trudeau says he would tell off Putin ‘directly to his face’ if electedTweaking Republicans who question climate change, Obama likened it to having 99 out of 100 doctors tell someone they have diabetes and having that person brush it off as a conspiracy.“All 99 of those doctors got together – with Obama – to try to prevent me from having bacon and doughnuts,’’ Obama said to laughter in the ornate Times Square theater. “It’d be funny – except this is about climate change. This was an analogy.’’“And then it turns out they can’t handle a bunch of CNBC moderators,’’ Obama quipped, poking fun at candidates’ complaints about last week’s Republican presidential debate on the cable TV business news channel. “If you can’t handle those guys, I don’t think the Chinese and the Russians are going to be too worried about you.’’