[CRISIS COMM]: How Hillary Clinton attempts to manage her pneumonia crisis
It was released on Sunday, November 12, that Hillary Clinton has pneumonia. This was one day after Clinton appeared unsteady as she was leaving a ceremony commemorating the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
As spectators and journalists watched this incident, they quickly took to their media sources, and word spread.
Clinton’s campaign team first claimed that she had simply “overheated.” Later, her doctor was forced to admit that she had diagnosed Clinton with pneumonia 3 days previous to this event.
Clinton’s Republican critics have claimed for several weeks that the 68 year-old is not physically fit for presidency. Critics have focused on the coughing fit she experienced during a speech on September 7, and have used this as evidence as her fragility. After this coughing fit, Clinton claimed that it was only “seasonal allergies.”
Instead of addressing spectators after she had learned of her new diagnosis, Clinton and her campaign team attempted to keep it under wraps. Clinton also originally disregarded the doctor’s recommendations for rest and relaxation, and attempted to keep up with the rigorous campaign schedule that was ahead of her, which further tarnished her image in the eyes of the public.
Clinton did not manage this unexpected “crisis” in positive way. Onlookers criticized Clinton for her lack of transparency. Though political debates and disputed topics often leave people aggravated and confused, some are saying they “don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Grant Leboff speaks about word of mouth marketing in the text, Stickier Marketing, as being in the hands of the consumers, this situation is similar. The information consumers, political critics, and new sources alike now hold the power of perception for Hillary Clinton. Just as they took to social media after the stumbling incident, they continue to pose questions about her health and her overall campaign.
Clinton never fully recognized the stumbling episode that took place on September 11, but she did speak about the entire topic a total of three times on Facebook. Twice she thanked her friends, family and fans for their words of support and encouragement and still kept up her political agenda by asking people to continue to support her fundraising efforts.
Another post, on September 14, was a release of her medical records. Clinton’s physician, Dr. Lisa Bardack, states that Clinton remains “healthy and fit to serve.”
A new strong narrative was not formed from this situation. Instead, in an attempt to turn the spotlight in the opposite direction, Clinton has posed questions to Donald Trump about his physical health conditions and being healthy enough for the presidency. In response, Trump also released a statement of his medical records.
Because health records are an area of privacy, neither candidate was forced to release them. From Clinton’s perspective, releasing her medical records does help relieve some questions and possibly rebuild her credibility.
Clinton’s appearance at the Ground Zero memorial and ceremony was expected to be an event to help reestablished her image as a steady leader despite what previous allegations have led people to believe. Little did she know this pneumonia crisis would further skepticism and leave people feeling more concerned about her overall health and the effects it could have on the presidency.
