Two Vice Presidential Candidates in modern history were poorly vetted. We know that little effort went into checking out Sarah Palin, but what about when Senator Thomas Eagleton was the candidate for McGovern? Do you remember what OOPS moment caused him to be dropped from the ticket? It was when they found out that he had been treated for depression with Electroshock therapy.

Is it possible that Sarah is hiding some other deep dark medical secret? She is the only candidate I remember ever getting by with releasing absolutely NO RECORDS. In her only interview with NBC she finally agreed to do so, but her handlers quickly scotched the deal. What don’t they want us to see? As a psychologist I cannot make even an armchair diagnosis of Ms. Palin, but let me just say it would not surprise me if some of her excesses on the stump reflected some kind of issue that she has yet to fully address. If the rumors on the net (that she has depression) are true, that certainly would not even come close to disqualifying her, and that would provide an opportunity to put forth a discussion of mental health in our public discourse. Could she have a Bipolar Disorder? One symptom we sometimes see in that diagnosis is wild excessive spending. Should she be exempt from scutiny?

More likely the secret medical problem, that is so worth hiding (at least to her handlers) is something more mundane like cosmetic surgery for her beauty pageant. Several prominent female politicans have remodeled their public face. But whatever the secret, it’s not likely to be an empty file filled only with sonograms. That could have been handled on a slow news night with a brief release and some baby pictures. There would be no reason to not follow through on her promise. Instead one is left to wonder if she might have some problems in common with Cindy McCain and Rush Limbaugh. We need to find out what she brings to the table, if she wants to work for us.

What she does say is carefully worded. She told Brian Williams of NBC that she was happy, healthy, had 5 kids and had “never been seroiusly hurt.” Notice that she never denied any past problems or illnesses. She does not talk about whether she is currently on any medications. Let’s get this out.