Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Thoughts On Presidential Health: More Details Needed; A Woman's Effort To Power Through
Miami Herald: Voters Need Full Medical Disclosure From Presidential Candidates
The squabble over Hillary Clinton’s pneumonia underlines the need for full medical disclosure by presidential candidates. Ms. Clinton is 68 and Donald Trump is 70. That’s not a disqualifying age for someone who seeks the job these days. But the public has a right to know whether they have the stamina and physical fitness to withstand the challenging demands of the office they seek. (9/14)
The Washington Post: Why Did Clinton Hide Her Pneumonia? Because She’s A Woman.
Replay after replay shows the coughing fit and then the weave-and-bob of her 9/11 episode. Anchors and commentators hit auto-pundit to produce the question du jour: Can this woman handle the presidency? Please. This woman has a bad cold. She needs rest. She’ll be fine. Another question also arose, at least in many women’s minds: Would anyone ask the same question about a man under similar circumstances? Here’s the more pertinent question: Why do women feel they can’t admit to being sick? You know the answer. It’s because women fear showing any sign of weakness lest others presume the worst — that she’s not as good as a man. (Kathleen Parker, 9/13)
The New York Times: Hillary Clinton’s Sick Days
Before we delve any further into the coughs heard round the world and the swoon that changed history, some perspective: Running for president isn’t hard. It’s brutal. The oddity isn’t that one of the candidates would succumb to illness and be forced off the trail for a few days. The oddity is that all of the candidates don’t drop like flies. What we ask of them is less preparation than mortification, physical as well as psychological. (Frank Bruni, 9/14)
The Wall Street Journal: Risks In ‘Full’ Disclosure Of Presidential Candidates’ Health Records
It’s worth noting, as more information comes out and as more is sought, that full disclosure of medical records would almost certainly cause more harm than good. Serving up certain details of any candidate’s health, and past life, in a voracious social-media environment in which some elements of the media focus on “gotcha!” journalism and opponents leap to make attack ads has the potential to focus disproportionate attention on a candidate’s health–rather than a person’s readiness to govern and her or his positions on major issues. (Drew Altman, 9/13)
Slate: Hillary Clinton’s Pneumonia Tells Us Nothing About Her Health
As a nation, we are considering two presidential candidates who are 68 and 70 years old for an office that requires at least four years—and possibly eight—of grueling work. Regardless of whom you support, it would be nice to know that the president will survive his or her tenure in office. (Susan Matthews, 9/13)
