I am an independent so that gives me more license to say what I am about to than if I was a Democrat, Republican, Green Party, or Libertarian. In the case of judging what has been produced so far by either Trump or Clinton on the state of their physical and mental well being, I have been a health care lawyer for 43 years---reading, judging and analyzing thousands of pages of medical records and reports. With this as my background, there are three items that stand out to show why Trump's strategy is based on dumbing down the American voter that will get him the presidency.
First, let's address his health records. No, I am not a medical doctor; again, I am a health care lawyer into my fourth decade of practice, but one with a particularly long and lengthy professional pedigree who has read and reviewed volumes of records and reports over that time. I also have taken note of Trump's latest swipe at Clinton's state of health last night while he campaigned in Ohio, sarcastically questioning whether Clinton could withstand an hour of campaigning as he did yesterday. [Evidently, Trump believes when someone is down, nee, off the campaign trail due to a health reason as Clinton has been, it is better to step on her rather than to wish her well].
I first read Trump's physician's report of December 15, 2015, you know, the one by scraggly and longhaired Harold Bornstein, the duly licensed gastroenterologist. The letter lists the doctor's credentials that are out of date. It was also one of the poorest, less than one-page letters filled with unheard of adjectives to describe the physical condition of a patient, misspellings and non-specific findings that only a careless physician, or a quack, would write that I have ever seen. Yet, and here is the important point, a certain segment of the American voter seems not to care; they consider it irrelevant perhaps, or maybe are convinced that the correspondence professionally and adequately reflects Trump's health care condition. After all, that is what Trump tells them, right? Equally true is that Trump doesn't apparently care either, figuring that the American voter that is his audience neither cares nor has the intellectual ability to care in a pragmatic way.
Trump then takes his medical condition to new heights by showboating it on the Dr. Oz TV show, as if following a well-scripted writing. Recall, Oz asks him about why he won't show his medical records. Then, as if on cue, Trump looks to the audience and asks whether he should; they respond, and...drum roll please...he takes from his suit pocket a document that he then gives to Oz to look at. Hollywood at its best, huh? Trump no doubt believes that the American voter he wants are those that went gaga over his Apprentice reality shows, so they obviously will become "verclempt" about his revealing more of his health via Dr. Mehmet Oz. Trump is a showman, a carny, well, a con, thinking maybe his voters consider him the messiah that will provide them manna from heaven once he is in office. Not.
I then read the two-page, single spaced letter dated September 14, 2016 by Dr. Lisa Bardack, Clinton's personal physician. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Chair of Internal Medicine, CareMount Medical, a clinical affiliate of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). MGH is one of the most prestigious hospitals our country has to offer patients that require care. The contents of this letter was composed using proper language, syntax and spelling; adhered to the grammar rules of the English language; was articulated in clear and concise terms describing medical findings of Clinton's current physical and mental states, and lab results, expected during an annual physical (including a rather robust chronology of events preceding the diagnosis of Clinton's pneumonia, the actual diagnosis and care to be taken thereafter); and concluded, "She continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as President of the United States." [The words so highlighted are mine.] This is the type of letter I would expect from a well trained, educated and trustworthy medical doctor, again, based on my four+ decades representing health care providers and institutions. It reflects a complete document representing what it states to represent. Despite this letter, Clinton seems to be subject to more criticism for not revealing more of her medical history.
Next, if you ask those supporting Trump why they will vote for him, they say something like he is a great businessman; look how wealthy he is; with his background, he can do nothing but improve our economy; be a strong commander-in-chief; and remedy the [supposed] ills of the last eight years. But when these voters-to-be are asked whether they care about knowing anything about his finances, charitable givings, income stream from various sources as detailed in tax returns Trump has not produced (and despite Clinton, Kane and Pence producing their own now), they shrug their shoulders, as if to say, who gives a damn. So, these voters don't care about Trump's physical and mental health, and now don't care about his finances as can be gleaned from federal tax returns. He says he can't reveal them because he is under audit, but the other day, he says he will reveal them. Still, his voters simply don't care. And this brings me to my second point.
Yesterday, a very detailed report was published by author Kurt Eichenwald in NEWSWEEK, titled, "How The Trump's Organization's Foreign Business Ties Could Upend U.S. National Security" (http://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/23/donald-trump-foreign-business-deals-national-security-498081.html). It is quite telling---and what more of the media should be doing---because it is a step in unraveling as if under a microscope how the Trump Organization (actually it is composed of hundreds of corporate entities) is---in lay terms---wheeling and dealing all over the world and with ties to shady, criminal, and not-so-shady entities that can well compromise our country's national security independence if Trump were to ever become president. Trump's conflict of interests would be everywhere if and when Trump had to decide whether his business interests would first have to prevail over his securing our nation's interests with foreign powers. More critically, this report will be a frightening indictment of him for all voters who care to know the contents of it, or to take the time to go to the website just listed to read it. But, as with the (lack of) health records, and his income tax records, the voter Trump wants is one who really does not care if we go to war with a leader to whom Trump is in debt, or to a leader who has an important confidant to whom Trump is indebted. Maybe that is the same type voter that was glued to the TV set to watch The Apprentice every time it aired?
And when Trump, even his daughter, Ivanka, says if he becomes president he will put his company into a blind trust run by his children, Trump's voters believe him. Yet, this maneuver is illegal since it will never be "blind", and his children cannot be independent trustees as required by law, because, well, they are his children and that receive substantial income from the business to be parked in that type trust.
My third point is a video report masterfully put together and articulated by Keith Olbermann for GQ Magazine, titled, "Keith Olbermann Is Back, And He Thinks Donald Trump Is A Demonic Messiah". The subscript to the piece is, "demonic messiah in Oompa Loompa's clothing" (http://huffingtonpost.com/entry/keith-olbermann-donald-trump_us_57d930fee4b0aa4b722d6e90). It is a must for any reader to view, for he lists, seriatim, 176 of Trump's lies, deceptions and god-awful affiliations. Olbermann takes Trump apart in 17+ minutes that no media person or outlet has yet to do! Independents should puke after watching it rather than consider voting for Trump! But not his supporters---they apparently would care less...once more. Keep in mind too the very current investigations into Trump's own foundation using other donors' money to contribute to charitable causes but using the money as if it was his own (also recall his wife bidding on and then acquiring a 6' painting of himself for $20,000.00 paid for by a foundation check (an illegal act); unsealing of depositions in the fraud case against his Trump U.; and the illegal contribution made to Fla. AG, Pam Biondi four days before she terminated her own investigation into that "university". Trump's supporters obviously don't care here about any of this either. But any self-respecting voter should!
A colleague, long ago classmate of mine, and noted and very accomplished author and writer (four novels, including the National Book Award for his Middle Passage, MacArthur Foundation Fellow, three collections of short stories, over 20 screenplays, and recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature), screenwriter, and University of Washington Professor of English Emeritus, Charles Johnson, once told me concerning a matter unrelated to politics that when judging a person over time, she or he should look at, and be judged by, a "body of work". Necessarily, such a compendium will have some "downs" tossed in with mostly "ups". This, therefore, is how the candidates for United States president should also be judged immediately before any voter goes into the voting booth. But a certain segment of the American voter could care less, as we continually see on a daily basis.
For Trump, he has no relevant, credible body of work other than his lies, deceptions and deceitful language; he can only be judged by what he says, again ever the showman without depth or credibility. His cameo appearances, like with the Mexican president in Mexico City recently that called him out as a liar, or his fly-in to a Black church in Flint, Michigan yesterday when he was admonished by the Pastor while on stage in front of speaking to the assembled is all he thinks he need do to satisfy the American voter, even though his body of work overwhelmingly includes racism, bigotry, xenophobia, misogyny, declarations that Mexicans are rapists and a federal judge of Mexican descent incapable of deciding matters fairly due to his heritage; criticizing Gold Star families; making fun of the disabled; showing his incompetency; belittling women; and questioning war heroes because they became POWs. Again, listen to Olbermann's video.
In contrast, with Clinton, we have seen decades of her body of work that shows a deep and un-abiding commitment to a work ethic to assist all levels of the American electorate on whose behalf she has advocated or ever been sworn to serve, particularly children from poor or from disadvantaged households. Trump does not even hold a candle to her experience and knowledge. Yet the "show" Trump puts on daily seems to trump (excuse the pun) Clinton.
It is a sad commentary on the American electorate of which I am a part that there exists a segment of us that cares not about Trump's (lack of) any body of work that qualifies him to become president and who cares equally not about his lying, lack of qualifications, mental instability, and inability to learn or to be taught what it takes to be president. What will it take to ensure his defeat? Coming out and voting! The stakes are just too dangerously high for our country to allow a Trump to become a resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
As an independent like myself, I would think others similarly positioned would consider vomiting a much preferable experience than hearing the words, President Trump.