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I don't claim any inside information, but his coloring doesn't look good to me. He seems almost hypoxic. When he's not made up, he's very dark under his eyes, and again, that's a sign of oxygen deficiency. This could either be because of lung problems or heart problems. He hits the hospital a lot.

We've been making "Why the long face?" jokes about Kerry around here for a while, but Kerry's face really does exceed the norms for Caucasian males. I've been wondering if Kerry has Marfan's syndrome for a while. They keep having him trying to "look" athletic, but it just doesn't work.

Here's a little info on Marfans.

- People with the Marfan syndrome are typically, but not always, very tall or taller than unaffected people in their family, slender and loose jointed. The Marfan syndrome affects the long bones of the skeleton. Therefore the arms, legs, fingers, and toes may be disproportionately long in relation to the rest of the body. A person with the Marfan syndrome often has a long, narrow face, and the roof of the mouth may be arched, causing the teeth to be crowded. Other skeletal abnormalities include a sternum (breastbone) that is either protruding or indented, curvature of the spine (scoliosis), and flat feet.
- Most people with the Marfan syndrome have problems associated with the heart and blood vessels. The valve between the left chambers of the heart is defective and may be large and floppy, resulting in an abnormal valve motion when the heart beats. In some cases, the valve may leak, creating a "heart murmur," which a doctor can hear with a stethoscope. Small leaks may not cause any symptoms, but larger ones may result in shortness of breath, fatigue and palpitations (a very fast or irregular heart rate). Because of faulty connective tissue, the wall of the aorta (the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body) may be weakened and stretch, a process called aortic dilation. Aortic dilation increases the risk that the aorta will tear (dissect) or rupture, causing serious heart problems or sometimes sudden death.

Another indication of Marfans is that the joints tend to be fairly loose and dislocate. What was he in the hospital for this last time, according to his campaign?

Let me reemphasize, I have absolutely no inside info on Kerry. However, his appearance, his frequent hospital visits, the refusal of his campaign staff to release medical information on him, and the almost desperate attempts to make him look athletic just don't add up to a healthy candidate.

But isn't Marfan's Syndrome a congenital disorder? It's not something he would have caught, at any rate.

Thanks, Richard ... I appreciate your candor. Let me reiterate your statement that you do not have inside information and you are giving us an opinion, but I find your opinion quite educated, nonetheless. Thanks ...