I'm trying to understand this re: Hillary's health and the election.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

As one of my prior posts alluded to, Hillary's health has absolutely 0% effect on how my vote will be case. She could be in a coma and I'd still vote for her over Trump. And that's not a hyperbole. Literally, I'd vote for a comatose Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in a heartbeat. And I'm sure just about all Democrats and people on this board would feel likewise.

But let's put aside us for a second.

Let's just consider independents, swing voters, moderates, etc. People who could theoretically be swayed. In other words, anyone outside the basket of deplorables.

Now, maybe if we were dealing with a Romney or a McCain or someone from the Republican Party who is at least comparatively "normal" to what we've seen from Trump, perhaps questions of Hillary's health could play a factor as to which way they might swing.

But everything that Donald Trump has revealed himself to be, how he acts, his own secrecy regarding his finances, his own health (including a bogus "letter of health" from a dubious doctor), Trump University, the pay-for-play AG scandal, and the general sense of discord that he sews.....

Can we honestly say that a bout of minor pneumonia from Hillary would have any effect at all? Would anyone actually say, "Well I find Donald Trump to be repulsive and divisive and lacking in any sort of experience, but because Hillary got sick at one point during her campaign, I'm going to throw all caution to the wind and vote for Trump anyways?"

I'm having a hard trouble seeing it. Even though I'm not a swing voter, I just don't see how this would affect this particular election given this particular GOP nominee.

[landolfi]

1. I don't see it either

especially since a number of Clinton's aides have gotten a bug too.

If anything, it might force Trump to produce something more objective than the ridiculous letter he's come up with so far. (Emphasis on might).

[apcalc]

2. This will make no difference to anyone imo.

Pneumonia happens to all of us, and thankfully there are some antibiotics around that still work for it. She be back to normal in a couple of days , stronger than ever.

M$M just needs something to talk about, gotta keep the $$$$ flowing.

[onecaliberal]

3. PLEASE STOP posting republican talking points.

[treestar]

4. I agree

The MSM will try but it's just a story of the day. Long forgotten by November anyway.

[jehop61]

5. People forget

McCain in 08 was a cancer survivor twice and Dick Cheney had several serious heart attacks before being Republican candidates. Had no effect on voters then. Why should it now?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Truth be told, it might have had some impact on McCain.

Given who his VP nominee was.

Thankfully, Tim Kaine is no Sarah Palin.

[MichMan]

7. I think there are many who can't stand either candidate.

I believe that there are a significant number of people that just can't stand voting for Hillary for a wide variety of reasons.

Whether it is the normal tendency to change the party in charge after 8 yrs, "Clinton fatigue", perception of her untruthfulness, e mails, or her being entrenched as the establishment all may play a role. With any other opponent, that would probably mean she would lose those votes.

Trump as we all know has a huge number of issues that everyone at DU is well aware of.

That being said, I have heard from some people I know that they just can't stand either one of the candidates. Will they sit out, or hold their nose and vote for whomever they think is the "lesser of two evils" ? How many of them there are is unknown.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Logic would assume those people realize they're voting for President, not Prom Court.

And that the better candidate is the one with the requisite level of experience and temperament.

That's assuming these are logical minded people. Mind you, this isn't the Basket of Deplorables we're talking about, it's the swing voters, so there's still a chance they think rationally.

[Demsrule86]

8. The media is desperate to try to pump Trump up so as to improve ratings...but the ironic

thing is I have stopped watching the programs because of this...many have.

[Dem2]

10. I'll watch those who avoid saying "Trump" 2-3 times a minute

If that means I never watch political coverage, then so be it.

[Demsrule86]

11. I feel the same way. I used to watch O'Donnell and Maddow.

I taped the show daily...and sometime Chris Matthews...now I watch Joy and that is about it.

[colin62]

12. The problem with your thought process...

Would anyone actually say, "Well I find Donald Trump to be repulsive and divisive and lacking in any sort of experience, but because Hillary got sick at one point during her campaign, I'm going to throw all caution to the wind and vote for Trump anyways?"

The problem with your thought process is that the people you are talking about... "independents, swing voters, moderates, etc. People who could theoretically be swayed." ... don't think Trump is repulsive and divisive and lacking in any sort of experience.

They don't see Trump like you and I do. That's why they are swing voters/people who could be swayed.

You have to remember that these are the idiotic people that networks talk to after presidential debates who claim they don't see any difference between the two candidates and still haven't made up their minds.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

13. I could see some people claiming that Clinton might not be different than Romney/McCain....

....(hell, we even had multiple people here at DU say as much during the primaries), even though that's absolutely, positively not the case. Not all career politicians are the same. But there will be those who will insist otherwise, and dillusioned swing voters might fall into that category.

But that's not the dynamic we have this election. That dynamic has been shattered. The dynamic this year is long time politician vs. outsider. Now, normally that might be worrisome, because people are naturally skeptical of politicians. Except this isn't an ordinary outsider, but rather a narcissistic meglalomaniac whose gone out of his way to offend large segments of the population. So while people might be skeptical of politicians in general, when the alternative is someone who is demonstrably unhinged and could seriously put this country at risk over his own selfish motivations, the politician becomes the "safe" choice. Even if she is viewed somewhat dubiously.

[bettyellen]

16. Did you see the Atlantic article about the distrust of "insiders"

As a movement that has been growing in this country for years? It is pretty darned good. I think you'd like it.

[LAS14]

14. I'm totally with you, which is why I think we should model...

... appropriate behavior and mildly lament her time off the trail and turn to other things. Like her policies vs DT's chaos.

Oooh! A new nickname. Delirium tremens!

[justiceischeap]

15. When you look at polls in Iowa and New Hampshire

And see Johnson/Stein pulling 18% of the votes, it's making the race that much closer and anything can be a concern.

Personally, I too would vote for a comatose Clinton over any other candidate but some people are either stupid or contrary.

I was telling my housemate that the amount of people I've seen talking about voting third-party because they perceive their states as safe may well net us a Trump presidency because of unintended consequences.

[Kentonio]

17. There are a vast number of people out there

Who will vote in November yet don't spend more than a moment actually thinking about politics. They don't watch the news, they don't read the papers and they assume all politicians are crooks anyway. To those people, their vote might depend on nothing more than what they've heard from a friend or family member, or they might have heard a few crazy but not full on atrocious things from Trump and think it would be good to 'shake things up'.

Writing off every potential Trump supporter would be a dreadful mistake, and one we cannot afford to make. Obviously the racists and bigots are a lost cause (and can go to hell frankly) but there's a lot more people out there who probably couldn't tell you a single position either candidate holds or a single accurate quote from either. Those votes are ripe for the taking.