Weekly Opinion Editorial
AMERICANS HAVE A RIGHT TO
KNOW!
by Steve Fair
Is the health of a presidential candidate relevant? The issue seems to come up in virtually every
election. Back in December 2015, Donald
Trump, Chris Christie, and Jeb Bush all got notes from their doctors saying
they were in ‘excellent health.’ Donald
Trump's personal physician didn’t include any data, but assured the American public
the Donald "will be the healthiest
individual ever elected to the presidency." Considering the physician shape George W and
Obama were in when they took office, I find that statement a bit exaggerated.
Clinton’s doctor, Dr. Lisa Bardack, an
internist in Mount Kisco, N.Y., described Clinton “as a healthy 67-year-old female whose current medical conditions
include hypothyroidism and seasonal pollen allergies.” Bardack concluded that Clinton was, ‘fit to
serve.’ She did provide back-up data on
some of Hillary’s health issues, including a list of medications she takes, but
Bardack was hand-picked by Clinton and may have had some ‘skin in the game.’
Clinton suffered a concussion in 2012
that resulted in double vision, requiring her to wear special glasses for a
couple of months. In July 2015, a blood
clot was found near Clinton’s brain, which necessitated her being put on blood
thinners, which she still takes. Clinton
will turn 68 years old in October, Trump turned 70 in June.
In a Chicago Tribune editorial, Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at New York University, and
Jonathan Moreno, a professor of ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, called
for all presidential candidates to undergo an independent physical. “An independent examination by a panel of physicians at, say, Walter
Reed National Military Medical Center, would at least provide voters with some
trustworthy information. The results might influence not only the voters'
thinking but also the selection of a vice president whose "heartbeat
away" status might become much more intensely apparent,” the duo
wrote.
Do the American people have a right to
know? When you consider the medical
problems of past presidents, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, John F.
Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, we should know.
Each of those four presidents had major medical issues and in the case
of the first two, they were often incapacitated while their staff was
essentially running the country- and the country didn’t know until years later.
A
new Rasmussen poll found that 59% of voters believe all major presidential candidates
should release at least their most recent medical records to the public. That figure is up from 38% just two years
ago. 30% of voters don’t think
candidates should be required to provide medical records and 11% were
undecided.
So many people are searching the Internet
on Hillary’s health that Farhad Manjoo, the NY Times Tech Editor, asked Google
to block searches of Clinton’s health because it hurts her candidacy. The mainstream media is in the tank for
Clinton, but doesn’t the public have a right to know?
Trump has made the health of the future
chief executive a campaign issue. “Hillary Clinton lacks the judgement, the
temperament and the moral character to lead this nation. Importantly, she also lacks the mental and
physical stamina to take on ISIS, and all the many adversaries we face – not
only in terrorism, but in trade and every other challenge we must confront to
turn this country around,” Trump said in a recent foreign policy
speech. He correctly points out that
Clinton appears to require help standing and walking, appears fatigued and that
she has a persistent cough. It could be
nothing, but it could be something.
Voters have a right to know- not only Hillary’s physical condition, but
Trump’s as well.
Caplan and Moreno are
on the right track- Congress should pass legislation requiring every presidential
nominee to undergo an independent physical and the results released to the
public. It should also include an annual
physical for the president as well. When a
kid has to have a physical from an independent physician to play sports, it’s inconceivable
we don’t require presidential candidates to submit to the same. American voters should demand to know the
health of the candidates
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