John McCain took the unusual step this week of making over 1,000 pages of his personal medical records public. Past presidents and presidential candidates have been famously secretive about their health histories, going to great lengths to hide illnesses and other medical conditions. The most well-known example is Franklin D. Roosevelt’s hiding of his polio (many people in the press did know about it, but FDR was respected enough by the media to ensure their silence). Most infamously, 1972 Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton kept mum about his history of depression and electro-shock therapy; when it finally became public, a scandal ensued and Eagleton resigned from the campaign in disgrace (and running mate George McGovern got destroyed by Nixon in the general election).
McCain’s willingness to release his medical records is a good move. Due to his age, many voters and media members have been questioning his ability to perform the duties of the Oval Office—Is he going to go senile? Does he have enough energy? Will he die before his term runs out? McCain’s decision to go public regarding his health will prevent any Eagleton-like scandals from developing in the coming months, and (hopefully) end all the speculation about his ability to hold up in office, both physically and mentally. Since his presumptive opponent, Barack Obama, is about 25 years younger than him, reassuring people about his health is vital to McCain’s campaign. Also, doing so further enhances McCain’s “straight talker” image, which both the press and the voters love. It is a very good tactical decision that increases the chances of McCain’s trademark Straight Talk Express rolling all the way to the White House
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