Although most Americans feel we have the right to know everything, HIPPA has made ALL health information confidential in every area. Why should anyone be required to share health information on themselves to hold a job? Would you like potential employers to know you had a history of high blood pressure or mental health issues?
Most of us do have to share most of this information with employers, but it is done in a private manner. Wouldn't it be more fair to allow candidates the privacy of health issues that we each enjoy? Everyone of us, at one time or another has some kind of health issue that either makes our current means of employment difficult or impossible. We can each take advantage of medical leave that is insured to us through federal law, but the amount of information our supervisors and co-workers receive on this leave is limited to what WE want to disclose. Why should public officials be any different?
Historically, presidents have been viewed as invincible. Would we have felt differently about John Kennedy if we had all known and truly understood his history of back problems? Should we have refused LBJ the right to be president because he smoked? Would FDR have done a better job for us if he had been able to walk without assistance? Furthermore, wouldn't it be better to have a president you felt had the same views and values as you have than one who's cholesterol level is where is "should be"?
This is just another way to distract voters from the truly important issues of the election. There is no reason to share health information on candidates. If they are healthy enough to handle the demands of campaigns, they are healthy enough to do the job. The physical and mental demands of running for the position seem to be even greater than the demands of the position. Once the candidate becomes president, there will be a whole team of people to take care of things like diet and exercise.
No one knows what health issues will become problems for anyone. Further more, we have no way of knowing what health issues will develop after someone is elected. Nothing is a guarantee; not age, health history or family history; anything can cause problems where as nothing may cause problems. In the interest of our rights to privacy, why would we want to require a public official to disclose something like health issues when we don't require them to disclose information on family life and religious issues?
Maybe we should develop a method of an interview that only requires specific questions to be answered. When could then look at those answers and determine if we agree or disagree. We would also have to add a variable of about 25% on whether or not the questions were answered completely and truthfully. Requiring candidates to disclose medical history is just another way to remove the focus from the true issues at hand: War in Iraq, gas prices, healthcare, education, economic issues.
I personally could care less if McCain had a hangnail in 1990 or Obama had a sinus infection in 1995. I do care about how they each view the world in which we live and the role the US will play in that world for the next four years!