Who’s fit enough to be president?
Los Angeles Times, editorial: “In February, a Gallup poll found American voters from across the political spectrum agreeing on four key issues facing the nation as it headed into the heart of the 2016 presidential election. ... Terrorism and national security; the economy; employment and jobs; and health care and the Affordable Care Act. Their interests haven’t changed much since then; in August, the economy was the top concern. So what did the campaign — and campaign coverage — focus on over the last few days? Whether Hillary Clinton’s contracting pneumonia somehow makes her less viable as a president, and whether her lumping half of Donald Trump’s supporters into a ‘basket of deplorables’ makes her less electable.” David Axelrod,
Twitter: “Antibiotics can take care of pneumonia. What’s the cure for an unhealthy penchant for privacy that repeatedly creates unnecessary problems?” Jennifer Palmieri,
Twitter: “In contrast to HRC, Trump has been less transparent than any nominee in modern history.” John Cassidy, The New Yorker: “Palmieri, the commu-
nications director for the Clinton campaign, acknowledged that it had slipped up in its handling of the affair. But, rather than explaining the delay in announcing the candidate’s diagnosis, Palmieri sought to switch the focus to Trump.” Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid,
news conference: “(Trump’s) not slim and trim. He brags about eating fast food every day. Look at his health a little bit. ... You have all been unfair to Hillary.” Steve Almond, Cognos
centi: “Good on you, American media, for once again proving that you have the moral discernment to recognize what truly matters in a leader. Thanks for allowing Trump to define what ‘fitness’ means in 2016, that it’s not about content of character or knowing the issues or having a plan or listening or caring. It’s about answering that time-honored question: Quien es mas macho? Who can incite the most fear and rile up the biggest crowd and attract the most eyeballs? ... You’re helping to ensure that we don’t go to the polls confused about who we’re electing. ... We’re not electing a heart or a mind or a soul or a conscience — or even a body. We’re electing a wounded male ego.”