Candidate Gaffes Are Overrated; Health Concerns Could Influence Voters More

Hillary Clinton undoubtedly had a tough weekend, but how much will it affect the election? …

First, the evidence is clear that campaign gaffes rarely matter. Most people have made up their minds by this point in the race; polls after the party conventions tend to be relatively stable. Moreover, the people who do pay close enough attention to politics to learn about this sort of controversy are disproportionately polarized and thus unlikely to change their minds in response. …

In contrast, less is known about how candidate health concerns affect presidential voting, especially in the case of candidates like Mrs. Clinton, 68, and Mr. Trump, 70, who would be unusually old when taking office. CONT.

Brendan Nyhan (Dartmouth), New York Times

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