Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives On Candidates' Health As A Campaign Issue
As President Obama鈥檚 graying hair suggests, the American presidency is perhaps the most grueling and stressful political job there is. This year, both major party candidates for that job are past the nation鈥檚 customary retirement age. And while submitting health records is not a requirement for the job, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would be doing American voters a great service by furnishing a much clearer picture of their physical health than the abbreviated and sunny reports provided so far. (9/12)
Calls are growing for an independent panel of physicians to evaluate the health of candidates, as is the suggestion that unedited medical records be available for public review. Before either option gains more traction, however, it鈥檚 worth asking where they might lead us. (David Brown, 9/12)
Hillary Clinton has Parkinson鈥檚, according to one Trump supporter. Or an undisclosed 鈥渃ognitive illness.鈥 Or has just endured one too many falls and too much blood thinner. There are no numbers on just how many Americans believe Clinton is hiding a dire medical condition, but the short video of Clinton nearly collapsing and being ushered into a van on Sunday morning triggered far more than the typical concern you might expect about the well-being of a 68-year-old in a highly stressful environment. The Drudge Report's headline for nearly a day: "Will she survive?" (Diamond, 9/12)
For weeks, the official position of the chattering classes was that any inquiry into Clinton鈥檚 health was 鈥渟exist.鈥 ... On Tuesday, Clinton herself was asked if discussion of her health was sexist. She replied with a long, ironic, 鈥渉mmmmmm鈥 that typified her gift for political subtlety and nuance. The same day, the Washington Post鈥檚 Chris Cillizza asked, dyspeptically, 鈥淐an we just stop talking about Hillary Clinton鈥檚 health now?鈥 Five days later, after Clinton鈥檚 near collapse at ground zero, he declared, 鈥淗illary Clinton鈥檚 health just became a real issue in the presidential campaign.鈥 (Jonah Goldberg, 9/12)
Here鈥檚 what you know about Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton鈥檚 health because you saw it, or read about it, in the news: She is suffering from a case of walking pneumonia that caused her to wilt in the heat on Sunday. But, wait, here鈥檚 what you may not know but others are sure of: Clinton has a severe neurological disorder. She鈥檚 suffering from a brain tumor. She has dementia. She is such a sick woman that she isn鈥檛 likely to have the mental capability to fulfill her duties as president 鈥 should she be elected. The reason you may not know these things is that they, of course, aren鈥檛 true. (Neal Gabler, 9/13)
What, now Hillary Clinton can鈥檛 even get sick?聽The presidential candidate stumbled to her car after visiting the 9/11 Memorial on Sunday, saying she felt 鈥渙verheated.鈥澛營n the process, she set conservative speculation ablaze.聽She has a heart condition. She has the language disorder dysphasia. She has a stunt double. And something fell out of her leg.聽I haven鈥檛 seen Republicans show this much concern for a woman鈥檚 health in, well, ever. (Nicole Brodeur, 9/12)
Call the doctor, I think I鈥檓 coming down with a case of d茅j脿 vu. I probably shouldn鈥檛 have said so in print, lest someone think it鈥檚 a symptom of a brain disorder. Hillary Clinton鈥檚 health episode at the 9/11 memorial service over the weekend has cranked up another round of armchair medical diagnoses ranging from cancer to Parkinson鈥檚 disease. (Kathie Obradovich, 9/12)