Photo or not, the thing I find convincing is this. McConnell could put all these rumors to rest by calling the governor, or appearing briefly on TV and waving at the camera - no speaking required. He won’t. To me, that strongly suggests he can’t. He’s brain dead or in a coma or heavily sedated and his staff and the GOP leadership is covering for him. Since they have a proven track record of lying, I am not inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I’m wondering why his eyes are looking in two different directions in the photo. That makes me think his condition is much more serious than what the GOP claims. It kind of looks like he had a stroke.
We have to stop spreading these rumors about Mitch. He’s fine! I’ve seen the videos that prove it.
Most convincing are the ones that show him jumping out of bed and doing athletic moves, or in another example lifting weights and doing pushups on the hospital floor as Elaine Chao looks on adoringly.
There is a somewhat disturbing one in which Mitch peels off his face to reveal a shrunken reptile head (Elaine does not react well).
But he’s fine, really, up to date on the big issues confronting the Senate and rarin’ to go.
That condition would account for why he has been non verbal this whole time, even if he is smiling in a picture.
I said it was a stroke upthread, and I continue to believe that it’s a plausible explanation.
My unsupported guess is he can’t walk or talk, and I don’t think he can use his arms.
It remains to be seen whether he is mentally sharp, which is the real criteria for his job. There haven’t been any statements purporting to come from him, as far as I can tell. Instead, it’s just reports from people who have talked to him.
I wouldn’t be exactly shocked to the core if it turned out a brain-dead or comatose McConnell were sat up and somehow situated that he looked more or less lucid long enough for a snapshot. Still, that has to be a very remote likelihood. I think Paul got in one up in post #344:
I understand he released a written statement proving his is alive. If this is in fact the case, I presume he is unable to speak or walk.
Generally, there’s no reason for viewers to admit to anything that the “Proof of Life” photograph doesn’t conclusively prove on its own.
- Alive? Almost certainly. While not conclusively proven, Occam’s Razor suggests against the wilder theories.
- Sitting up? More likely than not, at least long enough for a few snapshots. No evidence that he wasn’t helped to get in position, nor that he can sit for a sustained period.
- Walking? Hey, they took a still for a reason. No evidence supports ability to walk.
- Speaking? See “Walking?”
The “so what” is that if McConnell had a medical emergency that required CPR and his spokesmen isn’t admitting this, it’s evidence that they’re lying about his condition.
How does issuing a written statement prove anything?
It would be just like McConnell to say nothing in the hopes that Dems will embarrass themselves with ugly guesses. Fortunately, folks have been canny enough to keep it respectful. Well, the politicians have. The rest of us are mostly saying what we really think.
By now, if he did, the whole net would explode with claims that was AI or that we must only accept raw uncut setup-to-goodbye footage from a source that will talk about what they saw while filming.
We’re never getting a real answer for however long he’s got left, I’m afraid.
Dr. Deth is correct. I saw these two pictures a couple of days ago, and the author said explicitly that the “beach” photo was faked. He did this (he said) just to show that it’s easy to fake photos. He took the hospital photo and digitally manipulated it into the beach photo.
I knew it would take no time at all for this to be reposted as “proof” that the hospital photo was the one that was photoshopped.
It could be something akin to a televised “press conference”–either actually IN his rehab room or maybe in the facility’s lobby or common room–except with a much smaller contingent of reporters that would be typical (call it 6-10 reporters, tops). However, there would have to be representation across the political media spectrum: Fox, MSNOW, CNN, BBC, WSJ, National Review, The Nation, Mother Jones, etc.
EDIT: Live witnesses from across the political spectrum would be sufficient for all but the hoariest corners of social media.
FWIW, there IS a conspiracy to minimize the severity of his “fall” and obfuscate the nature of his current condition. The photo proves only that he is not dead or in a coma.
This is an outstanding point. Even simpler: A conspiracy to conceal information due to the public.
“But HIPAA! Medical stuff is private! But! But! …”
Take a deep breath, Mr. Straw. “Information due to the public” here does not mean McConnell’s medical chart. I’m happy to stipulate that everything up to the bleeding edge of HIPAA law is, actually, due to the public. However, I’d anticipate difficulty in achieving consensus on that stipulation so I’m just as happy to agree to draw the line elsewhere.
HIPAA binds his medical providers. It does not bind him, nor his family, nor his senatorial office. You want to hold one of the highest positions of power in the world, well, there’s a price for that. You want to stay private, you can leave the Senate.
Why should they? Medical Records are private by law.
I double checked the BBC and Guardian photos- no such thing.
Can we stop with the conspiracy theories?
Why should they? It is none of our business. Medical records are private by law. They can release anything they want, as long as it isnt a falsehood. Did they deny CPR was involved?
Medical stuff is private. As long as they dont actually lie, they can choose to release or not whatever they want.
Yes, McConnell may release such info. He is under no obligation to do so. Many politicians have gone off and been ill, and not released all the info the Press and public wanted.
If he did have a cardiac arrest, and they claimed (as they do) that he had a fall, that’s a lie of omission.
They didn’t just say his medical condition is a private matter and they won’t be commenting on it. They issued a statement on his medical condition which evidence strongly suggests is false.
I’m not arguing that any laws have been broken. Legally, they can say that McConnell has a toothache.
But the fact that McConnell’s office feels the need to release false reports about his medical condition indicates they feel that his real medical condition is something they need to conceal.
Are the two things contradictory? Can you fall as a result of a cardiac arrest? Can you fall then later have a cardiac arrest? Or otherwise?
So, somehow you know he had a cardiac arrest and didnt fall? Perhaps one could say that is a “lie by omission” (which I do not think is really a lie) and is assumes he had a cardiac arrest, which is unknown at this time.
He is under no legal obligation (though perhaps that should change, along with things like tax returns). He is, however, under a moral obligation. And previous high office holders who were silent about their relevant medical conditions likewise failed their moral obligations.
If McConnell had a cardiac arrest and didn’t mention it in the report that was released on his health status, I have no problem in calling that a straight up lie.
I’d suggest it’s time for you to put down the shovel.