ONE TOPIC THAT WASN’T TOUCHED UPON DIRECTLY, BUT ‘WAS’ HINTED AT ….WAS HEALTH -- SPECIFICALLY, SECRETARY CLINTON’S HEALTH.
[CLIP: TRUMP: SHE DOESN’T HAVE THE STAMINA TO BE PRESIDENT].
AFTER LEAVING A 9/11 MEMORIAL EVENT EARLY, AND SUFFERING FROM COUGHING FITS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE’S CAMPAIGN FINALLY ADMITTED THAT SHE WAS SUFFERING FROM PNEUMONIA.
PNEUMONIA IS A COMMON LUNG INFECTION CAUSED BY BACTERIA, A VIRUS OR FUNGI. IT OFTEN LEADS TO COUGHING, FEVER, AND CHEST PAIN. CLINTON WAS LIKELY STILL SICK WITH THE INFECTION DURING MONDAY’S DEBATE, AND DONALD TRUMP HAS POINTED OUT HER SICKNESS AS A CONCERN – ACCORDING TO HIM, THE NEXT PRESIDENT SHOULD DISPLAY STRENGTH, AND GOOD HEALTH.
BUT WHAT DOES HISTORY TELL US? ONE FAMOUS EXAMPLE IS THE FIRST OHIOAN ELECTED PRESIDENT – WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. AFTER A RIGOROUS CAMPAIGN, HARRISON CAUGHT A COLD JUST A COUPLE WEEKS INTO HIS TERM, WHICH WORSENED THANKS TO A BUSY SOCIAL SCHEDULE. HE DIED ON APRIL 4TH 1841 – AND, TO THIS DAY, HE SERVED THE SHORTEST TERM OF ANY AMERICAN PRESIDENT.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY FAMOUS EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENTS WHO WERE ‘NOT’ EXACTLY THE PICTURE OF HEALTH – FROM FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, WHO SERVED THREE TERMS FROM A WHEELCHAIR, TO RONALD REAGAN - WHO WORE A HEARING AID AND STRUGGLED WITH CANCER AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, DURING AND AFTER HIS TERM.
IN REAGAN’S CASE, AGE WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN HIS WEAKENED CONDITION. AT 69, RONALD REAGAN WAS THE OLDEST ELECTED PRESIDENT. BUT THAT COULD CHANGE THIS YEAR – IF ELECTED, TRUMP WOULD BE THE OLDEST PERSON TO ASSUME THE PRESIDENCY —HE’D BE 70 ON INAUGURATION DAY. HILLARY WOULD BE A CLOSE SECOND OLDEST PRESIDENT, AFTER REAGAN.
Instructional Links
Website Article: KidsHealth, Pneumonia http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/pneumonia.html
Slideshow: Healthline: Illness in the Oval Office http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/diseases-of-presidents
Website Article: Live Science: The Secret Medical Records of Presidential Candidates http://www.livescience.com/2556-secret-medical-records-presidential-candidates.html