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(R) Greg Lopez
(R) Trisha Calvarese
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President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Joe Biden*
(R) Donald Trump
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CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
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(R) Deborah Flora
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15%↑
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(R) Dave Williams
(R) Jeff Crank
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
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5%
October 03, 2008 04:30 PM UTC
69 Comments
I’m not saying its not relevant and that is not invited given the emphasis placed on governor Palin, but I just don’t think most people will ever be comfortable with attacks on people’s health.
True, people will say that they are uncomfortable with bringing up McCain’s health status. Culturally America is reluctant to talk about serious ill health or even to look at a person who is visibly disabled. Lots of theories about why this may be, the one I favor is that it reminds us of our own mortality.
So, yes, this is going to make people uncomfortable. But as you say it is relevant and I suspect that despite insincere public protestations that health is a private matter people will be interested. Either in a tabloid morbid curiosity way or else for a sober assessment of the risk to the country given who he selected for his VP.
Is it classy? Of course not, nothing more rude than to point out a problem a lot of people would like ignored. It is why whistle blowers usually end up broke and unemployed.
Although even with the putting doctors up front, this is not simply a public-service oriented educational undertaking. The facts are relevant, but the attempt to generate fear based upon those facts that underlies all the efforts is something else.
His cancer is not the little brown spots that many of you have had removed in your doctors office.
The scars of the major surgery McCain has had is costing him $5000 per makeup session. That is not makeup; that is Hollywood-type cosmetic reconstruction.
I am not sure that Michael Jackson’s makeup person is $5000 to cover up the fact he no longer has a nose.
No matter how well Palin did last night, there is a real possibility that she will be President should that ticket win. We as American’s need to know, correction, have the right to know the facts.
that he has a one in five chance of dying in office. If that’s true, the only people benefiting from him winning office is Vegas.
Nine VP’s have filed address changes out of 43 prez’s.
I had heard it was because of the higher death rate among POWs’ combined with his four bouts of cancer, two of those being melanoma.
Sheesh, your stats are kind of scary. I wonder why we don’t look at VP picks more seriously in this country, with that kind of record.
Ford was decent president, no great sins nor leadership. A C grade. God only knows what an Agnew presidency would have been like.
Well, actually, I guess I can thus the yeesh. 🙂
Two years as Governor of Maryland, and prior to that, a stint on the board of county commissioners (albeit, his Maryland county probably had a larger population than Wasilla).
if so, that’s a far biger venue than Wasilla. Oddly enough, he had a reputation as a moderate when he joined the ticket.
…a Balmer County executive, and before that on the zoning board.
Raised a Democrat and his Father’s last name was Anagnostopoulos and shortened it to Agnew upon his arrival in Charm City.
/lived near my Aunt and Uncle
She is not the person that should be in the most powerful seat in the world. Period.
Intellect and preparation for the job is what is important. Preparation can take many forms. I want someone who has expertise, good judgment and a firm understanding of the issues – whatever the issue of the day is.
Sarah Palin is not an intellect, she lacks curiosity. GW has the same issue. To have not traveled extensive and have no desire to do so is a sin of biblical proportions. To not read (or in Palin’s case to read ALL newspapers and magazines) is another sin.
She is not intellectually curious about anything but Moose. That is a shame.
Experience, so fucking what. The real question is “What have you gained from your experiences and how much desire to learn do you have.”
BTW, did anyone notice how many times she recited world leader’s names? Was this to prove she could pronounce them or know what country they are from?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/a…
With Governor of Alaska. There are exponentially more people in Maryland, and there are big issues that Maryland has that Alaska does not (at least not in the same magnitude).
on energy and environmental issues, i’d say being governor of alaska beats Maryland six ways from Tuesday.
…and the surrounding wetlands and tributaries, Maryland has got a pretty big enviromental issue of its own.
A lot, lot less crabbers operating on the Eastern Shore these days. The bay is choking and the crab are vanishing.
And that makes me sad ’cause there’s nothing I like better than getting a bunch of Polacks in a boat with a cooler full of Natty Bo and chicken necks and going crabbin’.
‘The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology reviewed the cancer taken off McCain’s head in 2000 and found it to be “highly suggestive of a metastasis of malignant melanoma and may represent a satellite metastasis.” Even with the most optimistic scenario, if McCain has a metastatic malignant melanoma, he has only a 38% chance of surviving past 2010.’
–Think Progress
I’ve been seeing lots of photos of late that seem to reflect JSM3 having lots of problems with one side of his face, it really makes me wonder what exactly is going on with his health.
http://tinyurl.com/3owzcw
Could be something as benign as Bell’s palsey or something related to his previous bouts with melanoma.
For at least three generations the McCain family has not had to think twice about medical care because they got all they needed on the taxpayer’s dime.
But they don’t want all Americans to have it.
“My esteemed senate colleage’s family, his father’s family, and his father’s family all have had government provided medical care. You paid for it, but John McCain wants you to not have the benefit of the same care for all Americans.”
Hwy haven’t they been criticizing Johnny for his repeated $5k make up? Oh yeah, they’re hypocrites.
In these perilous times, having medical records disclosed is important. Not only to gauge the health of the candidates but also as a public education that prominent people become ill and the public needs to know about diseases and conditions for their own good.
Has Obama released his? I have heard that he is quite a heavy smoker.
And, I think Biden and Palin should release theirs as well.
When you have voluntarily jumped into running for major public office that is based on the public trust, I think disclosure is critical to voter decision making.
http://www.politico.com/news/s…
Before he was the presumptive nominee.
And as far as we know he quit smoking years ago and hasn’t started back up since.
It was about a year, maybe a bit more. I know because I quit smoking two years ago and had a lot of empathy for the guy when he gave up smokes and moved to the Nicorette gum, which helped me tremendously.
or who has quit knows how hard it is to do so.
I might have been wrong on the timeline, but here’s the scorecard regarding cancer:
McCain: 5
Obama: 0
I can’t imagine trying to quit smoking and running for president at the same time.
My downfall is when I go to the bars or drink with friends. I think if I ever really truly 100% quit smoking I’ll have to toss the booze out as well.
Probably for the best! 🙂
That was almost harder than giving up the smokes. I just couldn’t have a cup of coffee in the morning for about 6 months without caving in and having a cigarette.
And yeah, bars and booze were on hold for about 6 months, too. The good news is that after about 6 months, you can start to include those again and with the bars now being non-smoking only, that really helps, too.
And I should be honest here–I still crave a cigarette, at least once every day. I know people that tell me that once they quit they never wanted one again. I wish I could say I was one of those people but I’m not. I’d love a cigarette right now, while I’m typing. I used to love to smoke and type at the same time.:)
I had to give up coffee completely because I became allergic to it. Fortunately I’m a fan of tea.
for quite some time. Now I’m a big fan of fruit teas with organic honey as my evening treat.
For exactly the reason Redstate said.
It’s not just tha booze erodes willpower, in addition studies have shown that the two combine to greatly increase the craving.
I’ve had backslidings but have been smoke free for a decade and probably had less than ten cartons over the past 28 years. Stopping smoking is a process, not an act.
This thread is making me want a cig.
It took a year of complete alcohol abstinence to kick a 1-2 pack-a-day cigarette habit for me, too. But I’m happy to say I haven’t had even one smoke for 18 years–and not one regret about that “dry” year! Give it a whirl, RSB–you’ll be glad you did.
thanks for the encouragement PP.
But maybe AFTER the election, given all the ups and downs still to come! 🙂
Nicorettes, the methadone of nicotine.
I’m just yanking yours, good for you.
I used Welbutrin, too and that really took the edge off. I quit 6 weeks after my dad died so the Welbutrin helped with the depression, too.
cold turkey. I was miserable for a month, then started to feel a whole hell of a lot better. Haven’t had a cig since, and don’t want to.
It is a hard road for sure.
Cold turkey is the way to go. I was awful the first week, edgy for a month. But I was once smoke free for three years, had a few drinks, figured one cigarette wouldn’t hurt and was back to a pack a day in a week. But I quit again a new later and have essentially, with occasional back slidings, been off the weed for 28 yeaqs
I quit 20 years (2 months, 2 days) ago. I was 34 at the time and told myself, “I’m just quitting until I turn 55, then I can start again.” My rationale was that it takes 25-30 years to get a good case of cancer going, so I’d be 80-85, and at that age, who cares?
For some reason, that mind trip worked. I haven’t had a cigarette since then. I’ll be 55 in December, and don’t find the idea of cancer any more appealing now than it was 20 years ago, so I don’t think I’ll start smoking again.
I know if I have even one cig I’ll be back to a pack a day in no time.
Know thyself.
the pressure was incredible and, yes, I started smoking again. But I quit again after the trial. I learned that, having back slid a few times, it was easier to quit each time. That relapse lasted just a few weeks. The key to go through the full blown quitting routine anew as soon as possible — avoiding the booze, chewing the gum, staying away from friends who smoke, etc. rather than just muttering that you’ll quite again soon. I also found good oral hygien, flossing, electric tooth brush, etc., helped. The actual taste of tobacco in a fresh mouth is hideous.
Reportedly his wife said that he could run for president if he quit smoking. Given how few wives actually in their heart of hearts want their man to take on one of the most stressful, time consuming, and difficult jobs on earth it makes me wonder if she was thinking, “Well, at least I’ll get something good out of it if he runs.”
I’d love to do a post (if I had the time and skills) of color photographs of each recent president before and after the oval office.
The aging process seems to be quadruple once you step inside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Presidednts are usually in late middle age to begin with. Nobody goes from 55 to 63 without looking a hell of a lot older. My beard went from flaming red to mostly white over that time. I actually think the presidency is one of the easier jobs if you have the temperment. Indoor work, no heavy lifting, and delegate all the short work to other people. That’s the way Ronald Reagan handled it and he took it in stride, emerging an old man only beause he entered the office old.
It will be ionteresting to test my theory on Barack Obama 47-to-55. In the case of John McCain, 72 to 80 ain’t pretty no matter what job you hold.
Reagan just looked chipper and healthy all the time regardless of his age. Nowadays studies are proving that optimism and your outlook on life have a huge impact on your health, as I think was his case.
Clinton looked like total hell when his ride was over. Course he went through a lot, but that’s another matter entirely.
LBJ was probably the worst. The war took its toll, coupled with his awful health habits.
Bush has ridden the storm reasonably well, but the last few months he has looked a lot older.
Carter came in just plain ugly, and he left plain ugly. Didn’t really change IMHO.
I say this because I thought I saw some grey hair on Obama recently, but it could just be the reflection from the kleig lights.
this last time he looked shockingly older, but it just may have been that he was haggard from the stress of the last few days. Stress is a funny thing. It rolled of Reagan like water off a duck. FDR thrived on it. but bush doesn’t seem to handle it well.
Payback is a bitch. The vernacular version of you reap what you sow.
That one day that answer for questionable conduct will be as unacceptable at the highest level of leadership as it is on a grade-school playground.
But let’s hope that we continue to evolve on our societal understanding that depression is a treatable condition.
…it is not “Denver General” anymore. They get pretty touchy if you don’t call it Denver Health.
However, it will always be the “Knife and Gun Club” to me.
If you aren’t from Denver, what the hell is a “Denver Health”, anyway?
These need-a-real-job “experts” that convince companies and organizations to update their “image” annoy me to no end. “Denver General” was an honorable name for a hundred years.
At least the NAACP hasn’t fallen for this crap.
and DGH it shall remain!
Particularily when the homeless guy I shared a room with answered the phone call from my grandma.
“Dan, Dan, how do you feel”
“what? Who?”
“Dan its your grandma”
“Grandma? are you calling from heaven”
My family got a big laugh out of that one once everybody figured out what was going on.
My first experience with the horror of the insurance companies. I was double insured and while they kept saying the other party had to pay, my credit went to shit.
I suspect this would not be as much of an issue as it’s become if it weren’t for that dog and pony sleight of hand show McCain put on with his medical records some time back.Most people figure that when you look like you’ve got something to hide it’s generally because you do have something to hide.
http://www.washingtontimes.com…
Full disclosure would end all speculation then and there.
I’m of the opinion that his ducking and dodging on this issue issue is illustrative of greater character issues.
I think this is something that we should look at, and I don’t find it squeamish at all. I think that viewpoint will hold for most cancer survivors, we know how nasty it is, how fast it can hit, and it’s hard to find any medical procedure that we don’t view as routine.
Next time you go for a medical procedure, ask you Dr. to disclose their medical record so you can be sure that they are healthy enough to care for you. Answer will most likely be. That is my own private business.
How about if each of you that thinks this should be done make your medical records public so each of us that post here can be sure you are not going to k.o. while you are typing here. We may never know the end of your post.
Dumbest thing I have heard of yet.
We don’t put our life in the hands of our Dr. for the next 4 years regardless of their health. When we elect a president we do put our life in their hands for the next 4 years regardless of what happens.
Lets use another example – airline pilots medical history, including reqular required checkups, are turned over to the government. Would you want to get on a plane where the pilot had not had a medical checkup recently. Or did, but did not give it to the FAA?
When a person goes in for an major surgery, that persons life is in that Dr’s hands for the time that he/she is being operated on, and then sometime for the next who knows how many years.
This is a different story. Making this information available to the government puts a whole new twist on the matter. But, I believe this information should not become public knowledge.
If a junior military officer has to prove they are fit to go overseas – the Commander in Chief needs to do the same.
If you are not physically fit to go over seas, do you release your medical reasoning to the general public so the American people can decide if you get to stay in the military or not?
The tax payers pay your salary also.
The American people know that John McCain had Melanoma and he is a survivor. What else do you want to scrutinize next?
Barack Obama can not guarantee that his plane will not go down, or his motorcade gets into an accident.
I pray that nothing bad ever happens to any of our leaders, but this is a risk that we all take each time we support somebody.
I had a friend that was in perfect health and I saw him one day and the next day I went to visit and he was no longer with us. He was only 16 at the time. Took all of us by surprise, but is this a reason to not be friends with anybody ever again?
McCain will be THE oldest man to take office in American history. This isn’t a “what if” possibility. It’s a “when it happens” what do we do next? God help us anything happens to McCain and Palin takes the helm.
God forbid anything happens to Joe Biden and Barack Obama has to do it alone also.
what a “compassionate” thing to say. It’s funny how “compassionate” the republican party has become. All those crocodile tears…
If you are not physically fit to go overseas, you don’t have to release your medical records to the general public. The general public through their elected representatives have passed legislative directives to the military detailing how to proceed when a member of the military is not fit to serve in all capacities. That is the law.
Now then, chance and circumstance happen to all men (and women). The issue here is whether or not McCain has an increased risk of dying in office based on KNOWN medical facts. I want to know. I believe that the public has a right to know. If McCain cannnot allow his doctors to answer two questions:
1) What is the risk of a reoccurance of the melanoma?
2) Is the check up, every three months, sufficient to pick up a new or reoccurrance of the cancer.
If McCain chooses not to answer those questions, then, I think voters have a legitimate reason not to vote for him.
You know Kstrait, you are not tracking too well. I am sorry that you lost your friend, but it is not pertinent to what is being discussed here.
here is that John McCain has the right to privacy as all Americans do. When he was first aware of this unfortunate occurrence he did not try to hide from it he was rather forthcoming. The people were well aware of this event. John McCain even went right back to work at the U.S. Senate while he was still in bandages, because he knows where his dedication is.
There is no real way to determine the risk of a reoccurrance as with many other forms of Cancer.
As for the checkups every three months, I as like many others, believe that this is sufficient to pick up a new or reoccurrance of the cancer.
With the technology that we have and with all the talents that our Dr’s have, the medical field has ways of detecting different forms of cancer.
Just remember though, God works in mysterious ways.
Does Senator Obama go and have a check up with his Dr. every three month’s? It is my understanding that he use to be a fairly heavy smoker.
This was reported May 28, 2008
in the Tribune’s Washington Bureau
by Jill Zuckman
Should this not be of concern also?
You sound like a very young woman, quite frankly.
The hell there isn’t. There are statistical ways to evaluate the chance of a reoccurance so many years out…depending on the original diagnosis…We need that PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL opinion.
Also, we need to know if the three month check up is sufficient. I am a cancer survivor. For many years, I was subject to a monthly and then bimonthly workup…blood tests, physical exam, etc. It cost an arm and a leg…probably saved me the same…
Medical exams are required for all kinds of jobs and insurance applications. The purpose is to identify problems and/or calculate risk. god doesn’t have a gd thing to do with it.
Two observations:
1) I think the concerns about Obama’s smoking are legitimate…the problem is early detecting of lung cancer is still very difficult…a lot of false positives/and some tests require a hell of a lot of radiation…I do think we ought to know about his PSA test… But the difference between Obama and McCain is that McCain has already had cancer and so the stats predicting survival rates are easier to come by…we need them.
2) the previous postings on this blog about the cost of make up for McCain’s TV appearance were not relevant.
Cancer surgery can be very disfiguring and that has nothing to do with the survival rate. He may need to protect scars from the kind of light used in studio…I don’t know…that is something which is nobody’s business…