Washington Post columnist Chris Cillizza published a piece Tuesday calling on journalists to "stop talking about Hillary Clinton's health." However, the topic of whether a presidential candidate is physically fit for office wasn't off-limits for Cillizza in 2008 when Arizona Sen. John McCain was running against then-Sen. Barack Obama.
Cillizza's recent column — “Can We Just Stop Talking About Hillary Clinton’s Health Now?” — called attention to conservative websites pushing the conspiracy theory that somehow Clinton is physically unfit to be president, even though her doctor has released a letter stating otherwise.
But in 2008, even after John McCain's health records were made public, Cillizza wrote an article for the Post titled, "McCain's Health: What It Means."
In the May 2008 column, Cillizza called the early medical records released by McCain "promising," but later in the article, he went on to write, "[T]he Arizona senator's campaign is well aware that concerns about whether he is well enough and up to the job are potentially perilous for a candidate seeking to win the age versus experience battle with youthful Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) in the fall."
Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain speaks with reporters outside the White House.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
"To that end," Cillizza continued, "the McCain campaign knew this day would inevitably come. What was out of their control was what the records would say. Picking how the release of the records would be played in the media, however, was under their control and they sought to control it."
The columnist's approach to the topic was markedly different from that of his approach today. In Tuesday's column, he wrote, "This is a totally ridiculous issue — for lots of reasons — and one that if Trump or his Republican surrogates continue to focus on is a surefire loser in the fall."
"Clinton has released a detailed letter from her personal physician attesting to her overall good health — and making specific reference to her 2012 fall," which some conservatives point to as the source of what they believe are underlying medical issues.
"So, to believe that something is seriously wrong with Clinton, you have to a) assume her doctor lied and b) that her coughing, which often happens when someone catches a cold or spends a lot of time speaking publicly, is a symptom of her deeper, hidden illness," Cillizza added.
Shortly after publication of this article, a Washington Post staffer called attention to Cillizza's response to the recent criticism.
In his response, Cillizza claims "we are talking about apples and oranges." He hinges that assertion on the fact that McCain once had cancer, while Clinton has not. However, McCain's doctor in 2008 said the candidate was in "excellent health," adding there was no reason he could not carry out the duties of president.
Cillizza seemingly used the same criteria to draw his conclusion about Clinton's health, writing, "based on all available medical evidence — from an actual doctor who has actually examined Clinton — she suffered a concussion and resultant blood clot in 2012/2013 from which she has fully recovered."
(H/T: Gateway Pundit)
—
Follow the author of this story on Twitter and Facebook:
