The Candidates' Health
It may be a bit of a moot point now that the election is over, but I recently saw an interesting article on the Scientific American website.
The article discusses the differing levels of disclosure of health records for the presidential and vice presidential candidates. The disclosures range from thousands of pages of health history (McCain) to none at all (Palin).
It seems to me that there's quite a double standard at work. Granted, McCain is older and much of the concern about his health is justified. However, I don't think it's right that he should be pressured to release every aspect of his health history while Obama can get away with releasing an undated letter from his doctor saying that he is simply "in excellent health." Regardless of your political ideology, I think that most people can agree that presidential candidates should be held to the same standards no matter what their health history or age.
There is also the issue of privacy surrounding health records. I've had a hard time figuring out how I feel about this issue. There are few jobs out there where a candidate has to release their entire health records. That being said, there are few jobs out there that carry the same responsibilities and burdens of the American Presidency. As a result, I think that it is justified to call for a release of health records. That being said, I think that that call should be even and balanced, and that both candidates should be held to the same level of scrutiny regardless of age or health history.