Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump: Does Health Matter?

The latest issue in the strangest presidential election in recent memory surrounds just who is more physically fit to be the nation's next commander in chief.

The whole issue began on Sunday, when Hillary Clinton left New York City's 9/11 memorial early after feeling overheated. A video later emerged showing the Democratic nominee stumbling and perhaps even fainting. Later, the Clinton campaign said she had been diagnosed with pneumonia, something the press slammed the campaign for because it had not been previously disclosed.

Donald Trump, seeking to capitalize on another incident in which Clinton was widely perceived as being less than transparent, released a letter from his doctor on Thursday that offers a summary of his recent physical examination. The documentation is the same as what the Republican presidential nominee provided in a taping of "The Dr. Oz Show" that aired also on Thursday.

So just how important is the issue of the candidates' health?

"The health of presidential candidates is a pertinent issue because voters have grown accustomed to being able to have health data on the candidates during the campaign," says Andra Gillespie, associate professor of political science at Atlanta's Emory University. "Knowing this information is useful because voters can then use it to consider whether they believe a president is physically able to carry out the duties of the office.

"The health of candidates is particularly important this cycle because the two major party candidates are among the oldest nominees in history, one being slightly older and one being slightly younger than the oldest American president, Ronald Reagan," she says. "So, given the correlation between age and disease, some voters may want extra assurances that these candidates are healthy enough to serve."

Trump disclosed the one-page letter from his longtime doctor, Dr. Harold N. Bornstein, who said that the New York businessman is in overall "excellent physical health." The letter also says that Trump takes a statin to lower cholesterol and has a body mass index in the overweight range.

Clinton released additional documentation on Wednesday afternoon that depicts her as a healthy 68-year-old woman in an attempt to tamp down concerns about her health following last week's pneumonia diagnosis.The letter from Dr. Lisa Bardack, Clinton's physician, notes that Clinton had a "mild" case of pneumonia and that she received a 10-day antibiotics course for the non-contagious bacterial pneumonia. Bardack says in a letter that Clinton "continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as president."

"Both candidates have selected running mates that have the bearing of traditional vice-presidents," Gillespie says. "Regardless of whether you agree with the VP nominees, I doubt they will be a liability to the top of the ticket, assuming they have a good debate."

But there's a larger narrative going on in this election. "Clinton is trying to drive home the idea that Trump is a con artist by finding fault in the initial health letter from Trump’s gastroenterologist or by criticizing Trump’s disclosure of the most basic health records on Dr. Oz," Gillespie says. "Similarly, Clinton’s failure to disclose pneumonia until she was incapacitated by it fits a larger narrative that Clinton regularly obfuscates.

"The character issues for both candidates will not go away," Gillespie adds. "We will move past these specific health episodes, but they will likely reemerge in the context of one candidate making the case that the other is dishonest. Or if one of them gets sick in the next two months."

Patch wants to know: who do you believe is healthier, Clinton or Trump? Or is health even an issue in this year's campaign? Take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.

Image: Gage Skidamore Creative Commons