Democrats need to face facts about Bernie Sanders, his heart attack and his health [View all]

[George II]

What if Democrats nominate Sanders and he has another heart attack? What if it happens in public or in a TV debate? Would we hand Trump another term?

Kurt Bardella Opinion columnist

Three months after suffering a heart attack, the Democrats’ oldest candidate for president, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, released a statement from his doctor declaring that “he has the mental and physical stamina to fully undertake the rigors of the presidency.”

By all accounts, this is the most important election of our lifetime. Poll after poll shows that for Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, the priority is on selecting a nominee who has “the best chance of beating President Donald Trump.”

Given that, I am moved to ask this simple question: Do Democrats really believe that the best chance to defeat Trump lies with a 78-year-old who has already suffered a heart attack?

Right now, the answer may be yes. Sanders is at or near the top of this month's polls nationally and in early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Let me be clear, my concern has nothing to do with Sanders’ politics or policies, or whether he’s too left to win over voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. While those are legitimate grounds for discussion, it would be irresponsible and naive to ignore the issue of his health and what that can mean for the campaign, particularly if Sanders becomes the Democratic nominee.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/01/10/bernie-sanders-heart-attack-should-concern-democrats-column/2848611001/