 |
| Hillary Clinton speaking at a rally in support of Barack Obama, Horsham, PA (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
That's why, if you want this job, it's important to be as healthy as possible for a four-to-eight year commitment. For Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, neither of whom are spring chickens as they reach their 70s, this becomes a campaign issue because no one wants to see a President die in office. By contrast, President Barack Obama just turned 55 years old. But the years in the White House can take a toll on your health.
What brought this on was Clinton's being forced to lay low for a couple of days after being diagnosed with pneumonia, which became public only after she was filmed stumbling into her van following a 9/11 memorial service Sunday. Before that, she was seen hacking away at campaign appearances
Both candidates have been reluctant to share their medical records, adding to voters' perceptions that neither of them are trustworthy. For Clinton, it's the continued scrutiny over the lost e-mails from her stint as Secretary of State. For Trump, it's his tax returns that he has so far refused to release. Both think they're no big deal.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Clinton's doctor pronounced her "fit to serve" and that her pneumonia was the relatively mild kind. Trump, meanwhile, went on the "Dr. Oz" TV show and declared himself fit to serve, though the medical records he gave Dr, Mehmet Oz say that he could stand to lose a few pounds.
This isn't the first time that Presidents have hidden their illnesses from the public. Woodrow Wilson had a stroke. Franklin Roosevelt had polio, but was never seen in public on crutches or in a wheelchair (if the public knew during the 1944 campaign that FDR had a few months to live, would they have given him a fourth term?). John F. Kennedy was living with back pain and Addison's disease.
Political candidates, like most of the rest of us, keep going even though they're sick because they have to. For us, taking even one day off might result in loss of employment, which is a big concern in an uncertain economy. For politicians, any leave of absence might result in votes lost.
Clinton has been rumored to have all sorts of maladies, most of which have been unproven. But lately, she's contracted a condition common to politicians and public figures alike (though it doesn't seem to have affected Trump much). It's called Foot In Mouth disease.
Clinton usually takes the high road when it comes to Trump and his campaign statements. But not this time. During her talk at one of those private fundraisers, she referred to Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables". Yes, it could have been said a lot more tactfully.
Trump, who has so far offended women, minorities and some of America's allies with his off-the-wall statements that got him to where he is now, begged to differ. What Clinton called "deplorables" are to Trump nice, upstanding citizens from all walks of life who believe America needs to be great again. Never mind that some of these fine folks might be alleged white supremacists, NRA members, and others hellbent on putting Clinton in jail for her alleged misdeeds. Trump demanded and got an apology from Clinton, who has since modified the number of "deplorables" to less than half.
The net result of all this? Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a dead heat nationally (depending on which poll you believe), with Trump gaining ground in some battleground states. But the real measure of the candidates' political health will be taken September 26, when the first presidential debate between Clinton and Trump is scheduled. Until then, the prognosis is cloudy.
No comments:
Post a Comment