quote:

Whatever the label, when the videos appeared on Saturday of President Trump shuffling down that ramp at West Point, a general walking attentively by his side, and using two hands to guide a water glass to his lips, the response on liberal Twitter threatened to deplete America’s Strategic Schadenfreude Reserve.

The same man who ran for office by mocking the height and stamina of his rivals, who celebrates dominance as the cardinal virtue of leadership, whose 2016 campaign compiled similar slips by Hillary Clinton into a dark TV commercial accusing her of lacking the strength to serve as president, found himself looking like a longtime resident of Shady Grove Home For the Weary.

The images led to some elaborate online speculations and diagnoses, and for Trump, the attention clearly struck a nerve. Why else would the president take to Twitter to offer the excuse that the ramp was “very slippery” (a claim that a New York Times story labeled highly dubious)?

He might well be revealing his own insecurities. But he’s also right about one important thing: just how damaging such a picture of weakness can be. It may sound trivial, and it’s often unfair, but when a modern president, or even a candidate, exhibits physical weakness, it comes with a political cost.

It helped sink President Gerald Ford—perhaps the most athletic of our recent presidents; football star at the University of Michigan, skilled skier. But a couple of stumbles down the steps of Air Force One, a tumble on the ski slopes, and the relentless mockery of Chevy Chase on “Saturday Night Live” cemented a new image of Ford that stuck: A fumbling character barely able to put one foot in front of the other.

After him came President Jimmy Carter, who, in the midst of declining polls and a looming primary challenge from Ted Kennedy, sought to demonstrate his energy by entering a challenging six-mile race in the Catoctin Mountains in mid-September, 1979. Midway through the race, he all but collapsed into the arms of a Secret Service agent; pictures of the open-mouthed, utterly drained Carter became the symbol of an exhausted presidency.

Or think back to George H.W. Bush, whose appetite for recreation was on frequent display on golf courses, tennis courts and the water. But on January 8, 1992, in the middle of a state dinner in Japan, was struck by a flu bug and vomited. It became grist for the “SNL” mill, and helped underline the age difference between Bush and the much-younger Bill Clinton.

Without overstating the impact of these moments, it’s interesting to note that in each instance, the president lost his next election. And in 2016, so did challenger Hillary Clinton, whose coughing fits and use of back pillows became tropes in conservative media, fueling rumors circulated by the National Enquirer and others that she was virtually at death’s door.

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Yes, it may seem absurd to argue that in a time of pandemic, economic catastrophe, demands for racial justice, and a president often at war with the norms of a Constitutional republic, that a couple of video images should really preoccupy either the president or his critics. But Donald Trump has a native instinct for knowing what matters—not what the pundits say, or what civics classes tell you, but what really sticks with people. And history says he’s right to be concerned about this one.

quote:

Without overstating the impact of these moments, it’s interesting to note that in each instance, the president lost his next election. And in 2016, so did challenger Hillary Clinton, whose coughing fits and use of back pillows became tropes in conservative media, fueling rumors circulated by the National Enquirer and others that she was virtually at death’s door.

quote:

threatened to deplete America’s Strategic Schadenfreude Reserve.

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Originally posted by rontuner:
What Is Plaquenil?
Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) is an antimalarial medication used to treat or prevent malaria, a disease caused by parasites, which enter the body through the bite of a mosquito. Plaquenil is also used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus. Plaquenil is available in generic form.

What Are Side Effects of Plaquenil?
Common side effects of Plaquenil include

nausea,
vomiting,
stomach pain or cramps,
loss of appetite,
weight loss,
diarrhea,
dizziness,
spinning sensation,
headache,
ringing in your ears,
mood changes,
nervousness,
irritability,
skin rash,
itching, or
hair loss.
Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Plaquenil including

muscle weakness,
twitching,
uncontrolled movement,
loss of balance or coordination,
blurred vision,
light sensitivity,
seeing halos around lights,
pale skin,
easy bruising or
bleeding,
confusion,
unusual thoughts or behavior, or
seizures (convulsions).

quote:

Originally posted by Piano*Dad:
Arthritis in a knee doesn't require two hands to navigate your glass to your lips. But you're quite right about playing amateur physician on very limited information.

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Originally

Ugh. There's no reason to think that Biden isn't going to have some "episode" that leads to a questioning of his health either.

I am very, very nervous about how things are going to play out between now and Nov.

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In a now-viral video, Trump was seen Saturday taking small, visibly tentative steps as he walked down a standard-looking ramp at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, the academy’s superintendent, hovered nearby, keeping pace with the president while he slowly descended.

“You know, for a guy who constantly talks about how tough he is, he sure walks like a baby deer on a frozen pond,” Meyers quipped, playing footage of the Trump’s walk. “What is wrong with him? Are we going to have to get him an Acorn Stairlift?”

quote:

On CBS, host Stephen Colbert kicked off his show with a cold open that treated Trump’s brief walk as if it were a riveting sports broadcast.

“Daredevil Donald is about to tempt the fates by trying to walk down a gentle decline,” an announcer said. “Let’s take a look at the ramp. Check out that pitch, a precipitous 4.8-degree slope.”

As video played of Trump taking his first step, the announcer provided an energetic play-by-play.

“And there he goes! Attacking the slope with a precise shuffle,” the voice said. “One foot and then the other comes to meet it. Much like a bride walking down the aisle. His main goal: Just stay upright.”

Later in the show, Colbert said that now it made sense why Trump chose to come down the escalator in 2015 ahead of announcing his presidential bid.

“If it had been a ramp, he’d still be coming down,” Colbert joked. “But you can’t blame the guy, any time he’s around the military those damn bone spurs act up.”