A week ago questions about Hillary Clinton’s health were summarily declared off limits and sexist by liberal media outlets. Within hours of her claiming she “overheated” and passed out in low humidity, high 70s New York City temperatures at a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the issue was back in the news.
While mainstream media outlets were forced to report on the story, many shifted immediately to declaring “nothing to see here.” Some liberal journalists even adopted the Clinton campaign spin about the heat, others simply declared coverage to be sexist.
Below are some of the reactions, deflections and spin put forward on social media downplaying any and all questions of Clinton’s health.
Mainstream media sensationalizes incident, embraces Clinton health conspiracy https://t.co/5ZZ3G8lUDR pic.twitter.com/gklE7c2B2j
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 11, 2016
Men seen as resilient: GWB chokes on pretzel&faints. Cheney has heart surgeries.
Women seen as fragile& so HRC story covered differently
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) September 11, 2016
Oh cool the people who shared fake seizure stories and forged medical records say they were vindicated.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) September 11, 2016
Yuk — just checked in. Email I sent last night: “You picked a good week to be away: weather is vile.” And I’m wearing shorts and polo shirt
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 11, 2016
ANYONE WHO TRIES TO USE #HILLARY NOT FEELING WELL FOR POLITICAL GAIN IS DESPICABLE. YOU TOO, CORPORATE MEDIA.
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) September 11, 2016
NOTE TO TROLLS: It takes me and my wife @leeladaou a lot less time to hit “block” than for you guys to set up another account to troll us.
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) September 11, 2016
THIS!!! #GlobalWarming is REAL!! https://t.co/olWFBepjFM
— AmyMartin♡OlitzMagic (@martins4xf) September 11, 2016
Hillary’s “incident” today, in context, via @rayoflaurel https://t.co/4icejsIdL5 pic.twitter.com/rILdOi90jJ
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 11, 2016
More than a little creepy conservatives are cheering on a 70 year old woman who overheated… no there there.
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) September 11, 2016
Air Force General Passes Out at Podium. IS HE FIT TO SERVE? https://t.co/3KVfKiVSlg pic.twitter.com/c5jYK6zuHI
— Shoq (@Shoq) September 11, 2016
I wouldn’t call feeling flush or overly hot a health concern @brianstelter. It’s one of the symptoms of life. https://t.co/QJFOj9zjFK
— Ford Vox, MD (@fordvox) September 11, 2016
Topics for NBC Special Reports:
1) Turkish coup
2) Nice terror attack
3) Hillary overheated
4) Hillary feels fine https://t.co/Ur9ZtTxKsf— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 11, 2016
usually nbc ‘special reports’ are
– terror attacks
– celebrities dying
– attempted coups
today? hillary overheatinghttps://t.co/RWtqiuBpJZ— Oliver Willis (@owillis) September 11, 2016
Typically, opponent would now put out stmt expressing gratitude that Clinton is feeling better.
Doubt Trump will respond that way…
— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) September 11, 2016
I’m not a doctor, but I know something about weather. It was downright muggy this morning in NYC. Last night I said “feels like Miami.”
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) September 11, 2016
This is from last October. Conspiratorial drumbeat explains the frenzy today. https://t.co/ydvEeoDove pic.twitter.com/OLbFqOECXG
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 11, 2016
What we REALLY should be talking about is why it’s so damn hot on a September morning https://t.co/yGkfB1n7D7 #GlobalWarming #climatechange
— Leela Daou (@leeladaou) September 11, 2016
Again: There’s no evidence that Clinton fainted or that any serious medical issue occurred.
— (((Touré))) (@Toure) September 11, 2016
Guys, you can’t run for President as a woman AND also be human. It just doesn’t work like that. For some reason.
— (((Touré))) (@Toure) September 11, 2016
Only men running for President get to be human. Women have to be superhuman at all times while smiling at all times!!!
— (((Touré))) (@Toure) September 11, 2016
People saying Clinton fainted are ridiculously overreaching and embarrassing themselves.
— (((Touré))) (@Toure) September 11, 2016
So many women talking to me about how heat sensitivity is just part of their lives. Male members of the media would do well to listen.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) September 11, 2016
B/c treating this like it’s unusual is just another indication of not understanding women, or how to cover a female presidential candidate.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) September 11, 2016
B/c treating this like it’s unusual is just another indication of not understanding women, or how to cover a female presidential candidate.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) September 11, 2016
ESPECIALLY older women. This incident is, yet again, reflective of how ignoring older women’s voices makes our experiences seem “weird.”
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) September 11, 2016
Older women’s lives are concealed from the national discourse. Then Clinton exhibits something familiar to us, but it’s treated as sinister.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) September 11, 2016
And treating as weird or sinister something that is routine for many women is both alienating and infuriating. Get it together, dude press.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) September 11, 2016