2016 Election Thread

[gunnarthor]

Oh, yay.  Clinton's health is now a real issue and of course her campaign knowingly lied about it before declaring she had pneumonia.  And people wonder why voters don't trust her.

[PseudoSABR]

 

Oh, yay.  Clinton's health is now a real issue and of course her campaign knowingly lied about it before declaring she had pneumonia.  And people wonder why voters don't trust her.

Pneumonia is not a real health issue which would preclude presidential service.  Jesus.  

[gunnarthor]

 

Pneumonia is not a real health issue which would preclude presidential service.  Jesus.  

Yeah, it's not.  Lying about it though doesn't help.

 

I hate this election.

[TheLeviathan]

It is odd to me that they didn't just get out in front of this issue.  If nothing else it's bad politics.

[twinsnorth49]

Oh, yay. Clinton's health is now a real issue and of course her campaign knowingly lied about it before declaring she had pneumonia. And people wonder why voters don't trust her.

Are you serious about this? Good grief, no wonder politics in America are such a mess. Wow.

[PseudoSABR]

 

Yeah, it's not.  Lying about it though doesn't help.

 

I hate this election.

Are you sure they lied? I'm not positive on the timeline, but it's possible that her pneumonia diagnosis was fairly recent (two days ago).  

 

Here's what her Doctor had to say:

“Secretary Clinton has been experiencing a cough related to allergies. On Friday, during follow up evaluation of her prolonged cough, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was put on antibiotics, and advised to rest and modify her schedule. While at this morning’s event, she became overheated and dehydrated. I have just examined her and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely.”

 

Pneumonia is an infection, not a disease;  I'm not sure the campaign announcing the infection upon its diagnosis would have fared any better in the media.  

 

There's some shady stuff Clinton might be guilty of, but this probably isn't one of them. 

[ashbury]

This is the brilliance of the Trump campaign. Throw a lot of innuendo. Some of it will fit close enough to say toldyaso.

[PseudoSABR]

 

This is the brilliance of the Trump campaign. Throw a lot of innuendo. Some of it will fit close enough to say toldyaso.

Yup, Trump has just mainstreamed being an internet troll.

[nicksaviking]

Why would anyone lie about pneumonia when the alternative knee-jerk assumption is much, much worse?

[jimmer]

 

Why would anyone lie about pneumonia when the alternative knee-jerk assumption is much, much worse?

Could have just called in bilateral lung weakness. :-)

[gunnarthor]

 

Are you sure they lied? I'm not positive on the timeline, but it's possible that her pneumonia diagnosis was fairly recent (two days ago).  

 

 

Sure, she lied (well, more accurately, her campaign lied).  She left the 9/11 event early, was too weak to get into car - that video is horrible optics - and her campaign refused to let reporters follow her or give information on why she left.  After an hour and half they came out with a story that said she was overheated, which was a lie of misinformation.  They later came clean and mentioned the pneumonia.  And, as the Washington Post and Politico have noted, we now have Clinton's health as a real issue.  

[Mike Sixel]

Wait, her campaign refused to let reporters follow her when she was sick? They wanted some privacy for an issue that doesn't matter at all, probably?

 

That said, they should have just said she was under the weather. As for the first story....maybe the spokesperson didn't know she was sick. 

 

Mountain, meet molehill.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Sure, she lied (well, more accurately, her campaign lied).  She left the 9/11 event early, was too weak to get into car - that video is horrible optics - and her campaign refused to let reporters follow her or give information on why she left.  After an hour and half they came out with a story that said she was overheated, which was a lie of misinformation.  They later came clean and mentioned the pneumonia.  And, as the Washington Post and Politico have noted, we now have Clinton's health as a real issue.  

Scandalous!!

 

Has the Washington Post always aspired to be the Daily Mirror?

[gunnarthor]

 

Wait, her campaign refused to let reporters follow her when she was sick? They wanted some privacy for an issue that doesn't matter at all, probably?

 

That said, they should have just said she was under the weather. As for the first story....maybe the spokesperson didn't know she was sick. 

 

Mountain, meet molehill.

Oh, come on Mike.  You saw the video.  The campaign didn't tell anyone what was going on for 90 minutes and since when is the health of a candidate not an issue the voters should know about?  We've claimed that candidates shouldn't be eligible for office b/c they drank water wrong or can't spell or had affairs.  But a candidate nearly fainting and being shoved by secret service into an SUV is something the press should consider off-limits?  

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/11/the-clinton-campaigns-bad-damage-control-just-made-the-health-story-even-worse/

[Mike Sixel]

I've never said that about water or affairs.....but true, others have.

 

Like I said, I agree, they should have gotten out ahead of this. 

[Mike Sixel]

To be clear, I think her health is a legit question. It is for any candidate. And, they handled it badly. You'd think this campaign would be more flawless than this frankly. 

[TheLeviathan]

 

To be clear, I think her health is a legit question. It is for any candidate. And, they handled it badly. You'd think this campaign would be more flawless than this frankly. 

 

She was also coughing uncontrollably last week.  It's probably inconsequential, but when you keep saying it's nothing and it keeps happening....voters are going to start to wonder.   Hell, I'm starting to wonder.

 

Not that it's something serious, but are the rigors of campaigning taking a physical toll?  And if so, is that a bad sign for someone about to take on the rigors of being President?  She's allowed to be sick, happens to us all.  But if that's the case I'd feel a lot better if they just told us she caught a cold and had her rest for a few days.

 

What they're doing instead just opens up more questions than answers.

[Craig Arko]

Meanwhile, my wife is talking to a family friend in France to see if she can tolerate long-term guests...

[Mike Sixel]

 

Meanwhile, my wife is talking to a family friend in France to see if she can tolerate long-term guests...

 

There's a reason we went to Vancouver, BC, a couple weeks ago*

 

*ok, it wasn't about the election, but there was a reason.

[TheLeviathan]

 

To be clear, I think her health is a legit question. It is for any candidate. And, they handled it badly. You'd think this campaign would be more flawless than this frankly. 

 

They're literally letting Trump back into this thing.   (Which, conversely, may not be all bad for the Dems.  They need people to turn out and a closer election probably does that)

[Squirrel]

Meanwhile, no one questions Trumps health, or that he basically got a doctor to read exactly what they wanted him to say about his health? What about all the times presidents have been ill? Seriously ... because it's Clinton it's some big scandal. Could it have been handled better? Sure. Is it a mountain out of a molehill? Yes. Is it the media, once again, making something out of nothing with Clinton while giving Trump pass after pass? Yes.

 

Double standards are alive and well.

[TheLeviathan]

Health issues were brought up on McCain too.  And Bob Dole if you want to go back that far.

 

I agree that Trump gets a pass too often where the media gives him a platform and then doesn't hold him to his words.  

 

But the fact this went from a bunch of goofy republicans talking conspiracy to a legit issue is on Clinton and her campaign.  If you're going to run and hide behind double standards every time they make a poor move politically, it's going to take the bite out of that argument real fast.  (And there are legitimate times for that argument!)

[Craig Arko]

Perhaps mental health issues should be considered.

[Squirrel]

Health issues were brought up on McCain too. And Bob Dole if you want to go back that far.

 

I agree that Trump gets a pass too often where the media gives him a platform and then doesn't hold him to his words.

 

But the fact this went from a bunch of goofy republicans talking conspiracy to a legit issue is on Clinton and her campaign. If you're going to run and hide behind double standards every time they make a poor move politically, it's going to take the bite out of that argument real fast. (And there are legitimate times for that argument!)

See, I think even in this statement it's blown way out of proportion. Sorry, but I do. It's pneumonia. And I'm not trying to say it's a cold but statements like this and others in this thread, you'd think it was Alzheimer's or cancer. Molehill into a mountain, imo.

[Willihammer]

I really doubt the campaign is covering for a Jerry Kill-type pattern of pneumonia attacks. More likely she's just sick. It happens. This is a big fat zero.

[TheLeviathan]

 

See, I think even in this statement it's blown way out of proportion. Sorry, but I do. It's pneumonia. And I'm not trying to say it's a cold but statements like this and others in this thread, you'd think it was Alzheimer's or cancer. Molehill into a mountain, imo.

 

I agree, that's probably all it is.  But it's their fault for not making it a minor thing.  This snowballed, out of proportion take exists precisely because they let it get out of their control.  

 

I think she's fine.  But damned if I don't start to question it when they seem so...elusive about it.  They should've just said she had a cold last week.  Pneumonia can often happen after a cold, so it's perfectly reasonable.

 

But why be so elusive?  If the campaign is worried about the perception of admitting she has a cold, I think it's safe to say their strategy for dealing with that has totally back fired.

[Craig Arko]

[nicksaviking]

 

Sure, she lied (well, more accurately, her campaign lied).  She left the 9/11 event early, was too weak to get into car - that video is horrible optics - and her campaign refused to let reporters follow her or give information on why she left.  After an hour and half they came out with a story that said she was overheated, which was a lie of misinformation.  They later came clean and mentioned the pneumonia.  And, as the Washington Post and Politico have noted, we now have Clinton's health as a real issue.  

 

If she had yet to be diagnosed with pneumonia, how is any of that a lie?

 

No one is going to lie about pneumonia when saying nothing means people are going to go all conspiracy theory about cancer and strokes.

 

And why is having pneumonia a real issue? Last I checked we invented antibiotics since William Henry Harrison got it.

 

Considering that plenty, if not most people will be voting for Clinton simply to prevent the anti-Christ from taking over, she could be in a vegetative coma and it shouldn't matter. Tim Kaine is still an infinitely more qualified and infinitely less deplorable option anyway.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Considering that plenty, if not most people will be voting for Clinton simply to prevent the anti-Christ from taking over, she could be in a vegetative coma and it shouldn't matter. Tim Kaine is still an infinitely more qualified and infinitely less deplorable option anyway.

 

I was going to make that point too.  I think of any of the four I like Kaine the best as President.  Clinton is right there second before the precipitous drop off to "Good god no" and "where's my pass port?"

[Craig Arko]

 

Tim Kaine is still an infinitely more qualified and infinitely less deplorable option anyway.

Qualified I'm good with; infinitely more qualified? I'll call BS on that one.