A few days ago, The Daily Caller released a story about Michelle Bachmann suffering from migraines. The story suggested heavy painkiller use and the migraines could potentially incapacitate Bachmann if she became president.
The story was poorly done and misleading. The title included the phrase “heavy pill use alleged.” The suggestion of prescription painkillers was encouraged when the story quoted one source as saying “It’s not like a little thing with a couple Advils.”
This is sloppy, sensationalist journalism. The story never discussed what kind of pills Bachmann used, and migraines are often treated with prescriptions that have few to no side effects, according to Salon.com.
That said, this is a teachable moment for the country. About 36 million Americans will experience a migraine this year, according to the Migraine Research Foundation’s website. While a stigma still exists about migraines, they are very common and very treatable.
The Daily Caller tried to spin the information to cast Bachmann’s fitness to be president into doubt, but it made clear that Bachmann is very thorough in managing her migraines, and that she has an excellent support system around her to keep them under control.
Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses Grant both suffered from migraines, so making such a fuss about Bachmann’s migraines only serves to discourage people who suffer from migraines to seek treatment. What it does not do is reflect the kind of president she would be.
That said, candidates should disclose any health conditions which might affect their performance as president, if for no other reason than to get out ahead of the story. When the Daily Caller released its article, they implied that people with migraines are necessarily less capable. Bachmann, if she had dealt with this openly and honestly from the beginning, could have kept that kind of nonsense from getting off the ground.
Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio and John F. Kennedy had Addison’s and hypothyroidism. Lincoln — often considered one of the best presidents in our history — suffered from depression. Chronic health problems do not prevent someone from being a good president (or, in Grant’s case, a bad president).
If candidates would be more honest about their health problems, they could contribute greatly to changing the conversation about these health problems. We sympathize with Bachmann not wishing to get into a stigmatized health concern, but we hope all politicians and public figures will remember this when they choose what to disclose about their health.