I supported Paul Tsongas in 1992

[dsc]

I felt he was the best person in the race and had some great ideas. He was also a cancer survivor. He repeatedly said he had beaten the cancer and was healthy, turned out that wasn't true. He died in December of 1996 or about a month before the end of the term he was running for. It didn't matter because he didn't win. But we had a right to know about his health and we have a right to know these candidates health.

[PatSeg]

1. Thanks for the perspective

Even if I thought Bernie would be a good choice for president, his health is a major concern to me. A Bernie supporter told me that's okay, his like-minded VP would take over, but I don't vote for the VP.

I honestly worry whether he has the stamina and health to get through the grueling primaries. What if he becomes our nominee and then has another episode before the election? What is the recourse for such a scenario? How do we choose another nominee that close to the election?

[Moderateguy]

2. He is doing good so far even with his health issues

Also if he is the nominee and drops out:

The procedures that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would have followed if the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton dropped out of the race are a bit simpler than the RNC's. The chair of the DNC is required to call a meeting, and the DNC holds the authority to elect a replacement nominee by majority vote.

Article 2, section 1 of the Rules and Bylaws of the Democratic Party states that the DNC has the authority to fill vacancies in the nominations for president and vice president.

Source: https://ballotpedia.org/State_laws_and_party_rules_on_replacing_a_presidential_nominee#What_would_have_happened_if_Clinton_dropped_out.3F

[PatSeg]

3. Can you image the chaos that would cause

within the Democratic party. Many people would be very upset with whoever the DNC chose to be the nominee.

[7horses]

4. Non-issue

Sanders is in good health. I doubt anyone on DU could run a campaign like Sanders has, and keep pace with Sanders. All that matters is who his VP will be, and if you trust him enough to vote for him. then trust who he will pick for his VP. Also, anyone of the candidates could die in an accident(God forbid) or drop dead of an aneurysm at any time, even if they have released all their medical records. So it is a non-issue. Just stop it!

[HarlanPepper]

5. People who are in good health don't have heart attacks.

The end.

[RazBerryBeret]

13. ridiculous.

Just ask Bob Harper.
https://www.today.com/health/celebrity-trainer-bob-harper-shares-chilling-photo-1-year-after-t123816

or my FIL, who died in his sleep with no warnings, he had worked on his farm the day before.

[HarlanPepper]

17. ...

[TwilightZone]

27. Anecdotes aren't data.

There is always an underlying reason for a heart attack. Your assertion to the contrary is laughable.

[dsc]

6. Tsongas swam laps and campaigned hard

he was healthy until he wasn't.

[MFM008]

7. There is a underlying reason

You have a heart attack.
High cholesterol.
High blood pressure.
Coronary artery disease.
SOMETHING.
My dad died suddenly at age 69
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

[SilasSouleII]

11. Sorry but this is an issue

And this forum is where we discuss issues. So saying "just stop it" is rather insulting to those who are here to discuss the issues. Kind of feels like you're saying it's fake news.

[colorado_ufo]

19. Warren for VP.

One or two terms for Bernie, two for Warren. We need to play the long game.

[TwilightZone]

26. "All that matters is who his VP will be"

If the VP slot is in the conversation because of questions about the presidential candidate's health, it most certainly is an issue.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. We are often deceived

As historians dig deep in the 20th century, much material has surfaced about FDR in Nigel Hamilton's trilogy on FDR at war. I read the last book first because it was in the library ... FDR was a dying man in about the last 15 months of his life. Doctors knew, but medicines were primitive ... only digitalis, no blood pressure drugs, cholesterol, not even fish oil. People who knew him could see it, but he kept going. His 1944 campaign denied it, he made a few appearances. You'd say it can't happen today, but look at Trump, Bernie.

[Bear Creek]

9. Well now

Let's continue to bash democrat candidates somemore. Trump and his supporters did this to Hillary so it is now alright to do this to our own? Well okay Bernie and Biden are both old and could drop over at any time. I'm sure someone can come up with some trash about Elizabeth. That leaves just your candidate being white young male.

[dsc]

10. He had a heart attack, which he lied about, then promised to release his records, and is now

refusing to. It is perfectly reasonable to wonder what is up with this.

[Mr.Bill]

12. I agree.

Promising to release the records and then not doing it makes it look like he's hiding something.

[peequod]

20. When did he lie about it?

[dsc]

22. For two days afterward he said it was getting a stint

only after he left the hospital did we hear about a heart attack.

[peequod]

31. Get a rope! It's a stent, btw

I know because I have 4 of them. And how is that lying exactly? Not saying something for 2 days and then fully describing what happened is a lie in your book? Please.

[elleng]

15. You're right about the bashing,

but not sure this quite does that.

[elleng]

14. So did I support him,

and was dismayed.

We do have a right to know.

[RazBerryBeret]

16. JFK was a sickly child

and presided in the WH with a number of ailments, one of them Addison's disease. His medical history was never disclosed.( He was a white, young male.)

[dflprincess]

28. It was also before a time when the press & even the public thought every detail had to be disclosed

FDR was never shown in his wheelchair. Most the public didn't know he could not walk & the only he allowed himself to be seen in his chair was when he visited the orthopedic wards at military hospitals during WWII. His declining health was barely mentioned even as he campaigned for a fourth term.

Eisenhower's and LBJ's heart problems were not picked apart and there was very little to be done for a sick heart in those days. It might have been more sense to wonder about it then.

It was just a different time. Not only was their health not discussed, no one expected to see their tax returns either.

[paleotn]

18. That we do.

[murielm99]

21. My husband supported Tsongas, too.

I didn't because I knew about the cancer diagnosis. Bernie's heart attack is concerning.

We have had times in my household when we have had five people supporting five different candidates. We never fought about it until Bernie. But that was last time. None of my adult children live at home. They can vote however they please, as long as they vote.

[karynnj]

23. Do we know that he lied?

It is very possible that he was in remission when he ran and it returned later. I agree 100% that medical records should be made public.

However, even with that - a completely healthy person today could be seriously ill 4 years in the future. I was for Tsongus as well, but NJ , where I lived voted very late.

[dsc]

24. Yes it came out after the campaign that he had mislead people about his remission

Here is one article after he died.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-01-26-1997026011-story.html

[karynnj]

25. Thanks - that is disappointing nt

[dsc]

29. No kidding

It came out pretty quickly as the article points out but what he did was very wrong.

[iamateacher]

30. I have always supported the most qualified candidates

With the thought that they might know how to promote progressive, citizen oriented policies. And yes, Paul was one I supported.