Bernie Sanders has canceled all campaign events until further notice after undergoing a procedure placing a stent into his heart after complaining of chest pains following a rally last night in South Carolina.
Needless to say, I hope he makes a full recovery. When I heard the news I thought of my Dad's own emergency quadruple bypass surgery which took place five years ago this month. My Dad leads a very active life. He walks at least 10,000 steps nearly every day and goes to the gym regularly. Hell, he made mincemeat out of me at bowling on my birthday last month and he hadn't bowled in at least 20 years. My Dad is about as active a 78-year old as there is out there.
But my Dad isn't running for President at age 78. Bernie Sanders is.
The amount of travel required for a presidential candidate is extraordinary. A typical day can involve trips to multiple states. And these trips are not recreational in nature. There are speeches, meetings with donors and supporters, media appearances. Candidates often rely on fast food and very little sleep. When one is elected President of the United States all of that accelerates into the realm of overseas travel.
Chances are that Sanders will make a full recovery. But even if he does questions will linger
over his health. His main rivals aren't that much younger. Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are 76 and 70, respectively. But neither have had any kind of significant health problems.
I suspect that Sanders will return to the campaign trail. But how long will it be? Mick Jagger was in full dance mode six weeks removed from his heart valve operation earlier this year. At 76, he appears not to have missed a step. But six weeks off the campaign trail would be an eternity. Will he miss this month's debate. Or even the debate in November? I suspect that Elizabeth Warren, who has been full surge mode since the late spring, will pick up a great deal of Sanders' support. While many Democrats would be delighted to see Bernie back on the campaign trail this delight wouldn't translate into votes.
If Sanders chooses to end his presidential campaign then the Democratic Party nomination would be Warren's to lose.
No comments:
Post a Comment