Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

The Washington Post downplayed it in its story yesterday about the latest WaPo/ABC News poll regarding the presidential campaign, but the pollsters got some interesting data when they asked a few questions about presidential candidates and cancer.

The pollsters asked this question:

"If a candidate for president has been treated for cancer, but is now in remission, would that make you (more likely) to vote for that candidate for president, or (less likely) to vote for that candidate, or wouldn't it matter?"

The results: 89 percent said it "wouldn't matter," while only 9 percent said it would make them "less likely" to vote for that candidate. One percent said it would make them "more likely" to vote for that candidate, while one percent had no opinion.

Likely presidential candidate Fred Thompson recently revealed that he was treated for a non-aggressive form of lymphoma more than two years ago, and it is in remission. GOP front-runner Rudy Giuliani beat prostate cancer, and John McCain dealt with skin cancer.

The pollsters also asked two questions related to the news that the wife of Democratic candidate John Edwards has cancer. Specifically, of survey respondents who said they "lean" Democratic, the pollsters asked:

"As you may know, Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, recently announced that her cancer has returned. Does this make you (more likely) to vote for John Edwards for president, (less likely), or doesn't it make a difference in your vote?"

94 percent said it made no difference. And yet when the pollsters next asked, "Do you think John Edwards (is doing the right thing to continue his campaign), or (should suspend or end his campaign) for the presidency?" 17 percent said Edwards "should suspend or end his campaign." But Edwards gained two percentage points in the poll compared to the same poll three months ago.

Millions of Americans have either had some form of cancer or know someone who has, and know that, increasingly, cancer isn't a death sentence. Lance Armstrong is famous for winning seven Tours de France after beating cancer. Cancer, per se,  isn't a disqualifier for candidates running for president, if it is in remission. But clearly a significant percentage of Americans think a candidate whose spouse is currently batting cancer should focus on taking care of the spouse rather than pursuing political ambition.