As a 78-year-old man running for office, many voters have already questioned whether Bernie's age could pose a threat to his potential presidency. With the news of his health concerns, people are even more concerned that he may not be healthy enough for the job in the Oval Office.

After experiencing chest pains in the early morning of October 2nd, Sanders was rushed to a doctor for testing when they discovered a blocked artery in his heart. Sanders underwent emergency heart surgery and now has two stents in his chest to prevent the development of more severe problems.

While a majority of campaigns are centered around a candidate's ideas, opinions, and values, we often take into account a candidate's age and overall health when it comes down to voting time. But is it justifiable to judge a candidate based on his/her health conditions?

Back in the 2016 Presidential election campaign, Hillary Clinton experienced an overheating episode while present at the 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony held to honor the lives lost in the 9/11 attacks 15 years prior. Clinton was brought to her daughter's apartment nearby where she rested up for an hour and a half. She had been diagnosed with pneumonia just a few days earlier, and news of the illness along with the episode which occurred at the memorial service concerned many voters.

The media was flooded with questions and concerns, particularly in regard to whether or not her health portrayed her as a weak candidate who might not have been able to handle the presidential office. Many brought into question whether Clinton may have been hiding a more severe medical concern, leading to a rise in unfounded conspiracy theories about her health.

While concern for a presidential candidate's health is a valid concern to take into consideration when making final decisions as to who one should cast their vote for, it isn't fair to take the opportunity away from someone for merely having a cough and getting overheated in the New York City heat. Questioning one's credibility based on a coughing episode or sickness, which most people experience, doesn't seem like a valid reason to keep one out of office. Of course, voters would proceed to do so anyway.

In regard to Bernie Sanders, his health issues are related to his heart, and he had to undergo an emergency procedure to alleviate an artery blockage, which could have been fatal if it wasn't treated in a timely and proper manner.

After analyzing Clinton's similar situation and seeing that she is doing well three years later, it might seem easy to apply the same rules to Bernie Sanders. Unfortunately, regardless of Bernie's credibility or how strong of a candidate he may be, his current medical issues are justifiably concerning.

Should Bernie win the entire 2020 election and take over the office, who's to say he won't experience another detrimental heart condition — one that could turn out to be fatal? Even if voters don't consider that to be a fair question in this campaign, even the act of campaigning isn't good for his own personal health.

I'm not saying Sanders should drop out of the running, but Bernie and his team have some serious considerations to make and decide if this race is what's best for his personal health, all politics aside. Should Bernie continue his campaign, it is up to voters as to whether health conditions should play a role in elections.