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bill of health could have enormous potential to benefit McCain's presidential bid.

Conversely, if a candidate is unwilling to release his or her health records, then voters might interpret that decision as well. Maybe the campaign feels that their candidate is clearly in good health. Or, maybe the campaign wants to hide details of a candidate's poor health. Some candidates might even choose not to release their health records out of principle. Perhaps they believe that the United States should not ask such deeply personal questions of its elected officials (and that such principled stances might resonate with voters). Whatever candidates decide to do (or not to do) in respect to their health records, they must ultimately accept the political consequences of such choices. Clearly, the decision to release health records and the decision *not* to release health records have their own sets of implications.

In the end, it's not that presidential candidates should *not* release their health information. It's that they should not be *forced* to release their health information. America perpetually touts itself as "a free country." As such, someone running for office should not be required to disclose personal health details in order to hold office. Nonetheless, candidates should be advised that if they opt out of releasing their health records, voters may start raising eyebrows.

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