Clinton Battles Pneumonia, Transparency Concerns

By Editor September 15, 2016 06:00

Hillary Clinton takes a selfie with supporters after a campaign rally on Monday, March 21, 2016, at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix. (Photo by Ben Moffat/Cronkite News)

By: Lorin McLain

A Hillary Clinton supporter raises a peace sign during a campaign rally on Monday, March 21, 2016, at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix. Clinton spoke on a wide range of topics and displayed a broad range of support from prominent Arizona Democrats.(Photo by Ben Moffat/Cronkite News)

Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign rally on Monday, March 21, 2016, at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix. Clinton spoke on a wide range of topics and displayed a broad range of support from prominent Arizona Democrats, including Giffords and Kelly.(Photo by Ben Moffat/Cronkite News)

By Lorin McLain

It’s no doubt been a rough week for Hillary Clinton. First, her attempt to hide that she had pneumonia not only hurt her effort to appear more honest, but it put her alleged health issues on the front burner. Then she referred to half of Donald Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables.” Now the question is if the turn of events over the 9-11 weekend will further erode her lead in the polls.

Donald Trump is banking on it. Seizing the furor over her “deplorables” remark, the GOP nominee this week tweeted “SO INSULTING to my supporters, millions of amazing, hard working people. I think it will cost her at the polls!”

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted “The truly deplorable thing in this race is the shameful level of condescension & disrespect @HillaryClinton’s showing to her fellow citizens.”

Former Star Trek star George Takei came to Clinton’s defense, tweeting “Many racist Trump supporters were stung by Clinton’s speech calling them a “basket of deplorables.” The rest had to go look up “deplorable.”

As evidence seen by anyone who’s been to a Trump rally, calling Trump voters “deplorables” is not going to faze them. They already hate her. For the undecided, the pneumonia debacle is probably more of a concern.

Clinton aids on Monday revealed she was diagnosed with the lung infection days before she started fainting at a 9-11 ceremony. Now they acknowledge they probably should have disclosed it earlier. Not only does the episode revive transparency worries that have mired her campaign, but it’s also making her health a central issue. Clinton told CNN, episodes of dizziness are “something that has occurred to me a few times over the course of my life. I’m aware of it and usually can avoid it.” Trump in the past few weeks has revived his strategy he used against primary rival Jeb Bush, in which he derided him for being “low energy.” Now he insists Clinton “lacks the mental and physical stamina” to be president.

Health could be a factor for undecided voters, at least in Utah. A UtahPolicy.com poll says 83 percent of voters want to know more about the presidential candidates’ health. While 58 percent “definitely” feel candidates should release complete medical records. The poll was taken before Clinton’s episode last weekend.

For now, pneumonia is keeping her off the campaign trail while her rival’s poll numbers are rising. In the most recent Real Clear Politics poll average, Clinton lead nationally has shrunk to two percent. A Bloomberg poll released Wednesday now shows her trailing Trump by five points in the battleground state of Ohio, where she was recently ahead.