In less than ten months Americans will elect their 44th President. The next individual to hold the title of Chief Executive of the United States will face a host of foreign and domestic challenges. Not the least of these challenges will be creating and managing a system of health care for Americans that is unprecedented in the nation's history.
With this issue of enormous magnitude and importance in mind, and in my capacity as Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Health Education, I contacted the campaigns of all of the announced candidates for President (N=17) from the two major political parties beginning in July 2007. I invited each candidate to submit a statement of up to 1,250 words in length giving his or her position on improving the health status of Americans and how this leader, as President, would forge ahead to craft a better health care system for the United States. I promised publication of these statements in this, the January-February 2008 issue of the Journal, delivered to the approximately 5,400 members of the American Association for Health Education and other subscribers prior to the advent of the major primary election season. My original request was followed up in September 2007, and again in November 2007, with a final request made to media and communications offices and websites. Because of the late announced candidacy, the campaign of former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson received only the final two requests.
Whereas all of the campaigns acknowledged receipt of one or more of my requests by email or by telephone, only five of the Democratic candidates (Dodd, Edwards, Gravel, Obama, and Richardson) and one Republican candidate (Hunter) submitted a statement. A spokesperson for another of the Republican candidates (Huckabee) emailed me to say 'Unfortunately we do not have the resources available at the current moment to respond in time for your deadline.' As promised, these statements are published in the following Journal pages. They appear in the alphabetical order of the candidate's surname. Publishing the stances on health care of the major party candidates is a first for the Journal. Health educators, perhaps some of the nation's leading proponents for better consumer health and preventive services, should be among the most articulate of individuals in reporting the leading candidates' visions of health care for Americans. Moreover, health educators (and public health personnel in general) ought to be advocates for better 'health policy and politics literacy' among those persons they reach in their day-to-day professional endeavors. Whereas the Journal is attempting to foster such political literacy for its readers in requesting and publishing these statements, their inclusion here does not imply support for any of these candidates or lack of support for others who failed to respond, either by this editor, the American Association for Health Education, or the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.
Some months back the Journal launched its revised 'commentary' section with the intention of recruiting renowned individuals to convey important messages about health, education, and the general welfare of Americans. Although publishing statements written or approved by candidates for the presidency may be a rare event, this editor hopes that the Journal will be given ample opportunity in the future to be host to both the solicited and unsolicited remarks of politicians and pundits where the health and health promotion future of Americans is concerned. I hope that you find these candidates' statements informative and provocative in extending the dialogue about health care in this country.
Robert J. McDermott, PhD
Editor
American Journal of Health Education
Robert J. McDermott, PhD, is professor of public health and health education and editor of the American Journal of Health Education, University of South Florida College of Public Health, Florida Prevention Research Center, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (MDC 056), Tampa, FL 33612-3805; E-mail: rmcdermo@health.usf.edu.
