David French of National Review Online admits “fringe, conspiracy theory wackos” are most likely to devote attention to Hillary Clinton’s health on the campaign trail. But that’s not stopping him.
I don’t think that the health of every 68-year-old candidate is automatically suspect. We all know people of equivalent age who are extraordinarily healthy and demonstrate vigor and stamina that would exhaust much younger people. She’s been running a relatively grueling presidential race for months, with few setbacks other than some highly visible coughing fits. In watching her day to day, we see no visible evidence she can’t handle the rigors of the job.
However, there is the matter of her testimony to the FBI. The Bureau interviewed her for more than three hours, and during the course of that testimony, she “cited more than three-dozen things that she could not recall.” The Washington Post has a fascinating breakdown of the information she said he couldn’t remember, including any “briefing or training” she received on “the retention of federal records or handling of classified information” or “any specific process for nominating a drone strike.” …
… Selective amnesia is hardly unusual in criminal investigations. Indeed, it’s an effective tactic for stalling investigations without committing perjury — how can a prosecutor prove you actually remember facts you claim you forgot? But the FBI files contained this interesting statement:
Clinton stated she received no instructions or direction regarding the preservation or production of records from [the] State [Department] during the transition out of her role as secretary of state in 2013. . . . However, in December of 2012, Clinton suffered a concussion and then around the New Year had a blood clot. Based on her doctor’s advice, she could only work at State for a few hours a day and could not recall every briefing she received.
The only way this observation does not raise a legitimate health concern is if Hillary raised her own health as a cynical, manipulative method of evading questions. In other words, if she’s telling the FBI the truth (as she’s bound by law to do), then her health issues were so profound that she not only dramatically curtailed her work, but she has literal gaps in her memory.
