Being Libertarian Perspectives will serve as a weekly, multi-perspective opinion and analysis piece by members of Being Libertarian’s writing team. Every week the panel, comprised of randomly selected writers, will answer a question based on current events or libertarian philosophy. Managing Editor Dillon Eliassen will moderate and facilitate the discussion.
Dillon Eliassen: Should Hillary Clinton’s health problems disqualify her from being president?
Gary St. Fleur: Someone with her record of health problems should not be working, let alone running for president.
Alon Ganon: Definitely. She has been having seizures frequently when asked questions by multiple reporters at once, and her problems are worsening. This could affect her mental state as well. Last thing we need is irrationality. Her antics in the White House pre-Bush seems to paint some mental issues going on for a period of time, according to those who worked with her.
Gary: She doesn’t remember her time at the State Department, has bizarre coughing fits, and passes out from “heat” due to having pneumonia. Why would someone with pneumonia be campaigning?
Dillon: We’ve had several presidents who’ve had health problems, and some that have died shortly after taking office.
Gary: But did they exhibit these things before taking office?
Alon: Right, but today, with medicine and the media as it is, people have the right to have a healthy leader.
Dillon: You’re right, Alon, It is different now, regarding the media. It would be impossible today to hide FDR’s lameness (double entendre intended), or JFK’s back problems.
Gary: Why elect a sick leader?
Dillon: Electing someone is about the future, and as we all know, “always in motion is the future.” Trump or Johnson could have heart attacks, and pneumonia can be overcome.
Alon: Correct, but Clinton is having issues now. Heart attacks happen, pneumonia can happen, but this predates pneumonia by a few months.
Gary: This is also an issue of transparency. She has been opaque about everything regarding her campaign, including her health. She has also been found to lie about quite a number of things. Her entire campaign is built on proven and known fraudulent activities, including colluding with the DNC and various media members.
Ni Ma: This episode more than anything once again discredits the mainstream media and vindicates those they keep trying to call conspiracy theorists. The MSM is exposed as such a pathetic joke, it’s beautiful.
Alon: Anyone see how MSNBC was spinning this? Might as well call them MSDNC.
Gary: CNN as well. This is tragic. This entire election cycle has been a disgrace from start to finish.
Alon: It’s sad that not even a week ago the media was convinced to push this narrative and agenda that questioning her health is sexist and/or misogynist, despite everyone doing the same to McCain who was much healthier in 2008 than Clinton is now. Now some have had to eat their words.
Dillon: Anna, do you feel it’s sexist to ask about Hillary’s health?
Anna Trove: No. That’s just a blatant use of the “sexism” card. Health has been a legitimate concern in many elections.
Dillon: Today, the president is just the top person “overseeing” a vast bureaucracy; there are endless cabinet secretaries, advisers and their staffs. Even if Hillary had to constantly take naps, would it be so terrible? The gov’t would still function. These candidates are just leaders of competing administrative states, no? I don’t believe any president is as hands on as is given credit.
Alon: Well, she slept through her 3am call to Benghazi, when her pitch against Obama was she would answer the call. She is not a decent choice; POTUS has to be able to respond anytime and anywhere 24/7.
Gary: I believe she would be a different kind of president. The same way she was a different kind of secretary of state.
Dillon: I’ll tell a funny story: a few years ago, some idiot I had to have over for dinner said he was going to vote for Hillary because as a woman she would “shake things up.” As though she were an outsider and would bring a female perspective to the Executive Branch, as opposed to a non-gender specific insider’s perspective, as if Hillary hadn’t been First Lady and then a senator. I laughed a little, but didn’t pursue the debate because I knew the longer we debated it, the longer he’d be in my house.
Gary: That sort of reasoning always leaves me baffled. From the liberal perspective, how is a white upper class woman different from a white upper class man? And haven’t white upper class women enjoyed a significant level of power and influence throughout western history i.e. Queen Victoria, Queen Isabella, etc.
Alon: It’s like me saying I want to vote for someone because they are Jewish. Their religious, race, or sexual background should never be part of the issue. If you are considering someone because of their sex, you are sexist. If you are considering someone because of their race you are racist. Vote for ideas, not genitalia or skin color.
Gary: It is fine to be racist and sexist as long it is against white heterosexual males because a poor white male growing up in poverty in the Rust Belt where people die from prescription overdoses or heroin is obviously not taking advantage of his privilege.
Dillon: Let’s wrap up. What is the threshold for someone to be disqualified for office based on health problems? I know Hillary has other issues than pneumonia. But when would it be irresponsible for someone to vote for a candidate that has health problems? It doesn’t have to be a terminal disease, but there should be some reasonable line of illness that candidate has to cross.
Alon: Mental competence is a big one, as well as randomly seizing.
Bric Butler: I think a single sneeze should disqualify that lunatic. Then again I have previously said I would have pushed FDR in his wheel chair down a flight of stairs. I’m pretty biased against Democrats with health issues so I don’t think you should consider my opinion.
Ni: I prefer my Democrats sick and incapable of uttering their dumb ass opinions.
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