Should the Democratic candidate for president (whoever it may be) make an issue of the physical health of un-indicted co-conspirator Donald John Trump, the presumed Republican candidate for president? How about his mental health? Is it something that would help get out the anti-Trump vote, or would it backfire as punching down at an unwell person? Or would it be a distraction from important issues? Or maybe the Democratic candidate themself shouldn’t discuss it, but leave it to proxies?
I think it should be an issue, addressed directly by the candidate. Trump is obviously having physical issues. Even if it’s not disease-related, he doesn’t appear to have the physical stamina needed to perform his duties. His mental capacity prevents him from adequately performing his duties as well.
Of course, as the current occupant, there’s plenty of help available to mitigate his diminished capabilities, but in the context of a new election I don’t think that matters. The electorate would like to be able to trust the president to make the best decisions, under demanding timelines, and the physical and mental health of the candidate directly affects that.
I’m all for using third-party attacks, memes, and the like, for such issues. Keep the candidates’ hands cleans, but go after every possible point of attack. This is an all out political knife-fight, and the only rules are what one can get away with. If it’s not effective, then no harm done.
It could work if Warren or Buttigieg are the nominees. With Bernie it would just invite more reciprocal attacks in kind - he’s 6 years older than Trump and had a heart attack. Biden’s healthier physically but already has people questioning senility.
The problem with being the first Jewish/(out)gay/woman president is that you have to be better than the other guy. Smarter, stronger, and cleaner.
But yeah, if proxies do it, it could help.
Assuming there are a lot of fence-sitters this time around.
I don’t think there are. I think most people who plan to vote have already decided they’re going to vote for Trump, or Anybody but Trump. The contest will probably be won by the party that goes out and scrounges up new voters, and convinces them, first of all, to vote, and second of all, to vote for their side. So far, no one is doing that. Trump is still catering to his base, and the Democrats are jockeying with one another, not even worrying about November.
At least, the base consists mostly of meatheads, who don’t know activism from activating the TV remote. They’re not likely to go out evangelizing for new voters. The Dems have been good at this in the past-- it’s how Clinton was elected, lots of people in their 20s, who had been eligible to vote for 2-8 years, but never had before. We’ve gotta figure out where those unvoters are now.
There is no chance that this line of attack would make any difference. Trump will just keep repeating his fantastical hyperbole claims, “I am in the BEST health of any candidate EVER in the history of all of the Presidents!” He’ll get some team of knuckle-head doctors to come out and swear they examined him and sign off on his claims.
In the meantime, he’ll sling every possible nonsensical insult imaginable at his opponent about their physical and mental health. And some of his more clever supporters will produce manipulated videos to show his opponent in the worst possible light. The base will eat it up. The media will get sucked into reporting on it. And some narrow sliver of “undecided” voters (you know, morons) will furrow their brows and cluck, “I’m just not sure…maybe there is something to this.”
I agree with Icarus. Making a fuss over, “look how heavy his breathing is!” and “he sniffed a lot” and “he’s so fat” is weak sauce. Kind of like Obama’s tan suit. Besides, I’d take an out-of-shape president with reasonable intellect and values over Trump any day, even if Trump’s physical well-being miraculously improved.
The only way I might change my mind is if his appearance/behavior went decisively over the line from “does he look a bit sickly?” to utterly undeniable loss of physical/mental health. But it would have to be extraordinarily severe - like, say, if he projectile vomited blood while giving a speech. Or he literally went blank and started drooling. Or he pooped his pants.
And he’d probably have to do all those things on at least three separate occasions for it to matter.
Well, Kentucky’s new governor (Andy Beshear - D) made one of his first declarations something that might help: he restored voting rights for ex-convicts who have had their sentences expire, or received a Final Discharge of parole.
They can apply to have their voting rights restored online.
It’s notable that this is the level we’ve reached in concluding a president to be too incompetent to do his job. Not obvious misogyny, racism, pathological lying, abject ignorance, limited literacy, corruption and active undermining of democratic institutions.
To be considered incompetent to serve as POTUS, you must literally exhibit a psychological or neurological event during a public address. And you’ll still get a pass on it the first couple of times.
Yes it certainly did. The Democrats made virtually no mention of Trump’s health, but the Republicans made considerable mention of Clinton’s health - esoecially after she collapsed - and it cost her votes.