Hillary Clinton’s health has been a significant issue in the presidential race for a while, in my opinion. But after she reportedly fainted or collapsed at a September 11 observance in New York and had to be helped or carried into a van, losing a shoe in the process, no one can deny that her ability to perform the demanding job of President is legitimately in doubt.
One wonders, too, what will happen if she is unable to continue as the Democrats’ nominee. Is there a federal statute governing withdrawal of a presidential candidate? Is it up to the party to determine how to select a substitute nominee? I don’t know, but it is time to start researching the issue.
STEVE updates:
Here’s the video that has emerged (along with the Fox News story from Rick Leventhal), as taken by someone whose Twitter ID is Zdenek Gazda:
Is Gazda’s video authentic? If it is it is devastating. But it seems odd to me. Why would there be no other media cameras at the scene? How was Gazda the only person apparently present? Why are there so few police and security around the van? Maybe there are perfectly good reasons why this seems so odd (Hillary’s detail improvised a quick exit by an unplanned route?), and it would seem difficult to fake such a video so quickly.
I have the same questions as John. It’s one thing to replace a senate candidate (Torricelli, New Jersey), quite another a presidential candidate when each state has different ballot access rules and different deadlines for finalizing the ballot.
Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post, who just days ago said questions about Hillary’s health were unfounded, now says this:
Hillary Clinton falling ill Sunday morning at a memorial service on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks will catapult questions about her health from the ranks of conservative conspiracy theory to perhaps the central debate in the presidential race over the coming days. . .
Clinton may well be totally fine — and I certainly hope she is. But we are 58 days away from choosing the person who will lead the country for the next four years, and she is one of the two candidates with a real chance of winning. Taking the Clinton team’s word for it on her health — in light of the episode on Sunday morning — is no longer enough. Reasonable people can — and will — have real questions about her health.
I’m still wondering just why she was delayed getting back to the debate stage last spring. The “busy bathroom” excuse really isn’t credible. Just what treatment did she receive at Chelsea’s apartment this morning for her “overheating,” and why did she go there instead of a doctor’s office or hospital?
JOHN adds: The video seemingly is being accepted as authentic by everyone, and Zdenek Gazda has given interviews to some news outlets.
MORE: The irrepressible Daily Mail headlines “Clinton Collapses,” while playing an infinite loop of Mrs. Clinton falling in front of the van. Click to enlarge:
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