Donald Trump grew up very wealthy.
He tells us that he did not go to Vietnam because he had bone spurs in his feet. That is important, because it gets him off the hook for not volunteering, unlike other sons of wealthy families like John Kerry who did volunteer, and won three purple hearts. [Sorry, Mr. Secretary. You were not a war hero, because draft-dodger Donald says that he likes people who do not get injured].
Some doctors, regrettably, if paid enough, will say anything. Trump's current doctor, for example, proclaimed him to be the healthiest person ever to run for president. We can probably ask Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and the Bushes, whether they were ever examined by Trump's doctor.
No half-respecting physician would ever make such a statement. So, Trump clearly made it worth his physician's while to make a statement that would embarrass anyone with an ounce of integrity.
But, what about Daddy Trump (or Drumpf, as is his real name)? Perhaps little Donald learned from the old man that greasing some palms, even among physicians, can go a long way. Some physician certified to Donald's draft board that he had bone spurs.
Funny thing, though. Bone spurs, accretions of calcium that form bony protuberances, do not disappear on their own. The pain may improve with treatment, but the bone spur remains. They can only be removed by surgery. And, Trump's "doctor" told us he never had any surgery.
Hence, an x-ray of both heels (Donald forgets which one had the problem; how likely is that, if he really had them?) would reveal if he has bone spurs. Their presence would not prove he had them then; but, their absence would show that he did not.
Trump keeps telling us how smart he is. He takes advice from himself because he is so smart. He knows more about ISIS than the generals. He knows healthcare better than anyone. People who tell you they are smart rarely are.
To "prove" his genius, Trump cites his admission to Wharton business school. There are a few potential issues with that. First, he went to Fordham for two years. Fordham is a good, solid university, but not ranked near the top. Were his grades so good, did he retake the SATs and score off-the-charts, to warrant his transfer? Perhaps, but one may be forgiven if one doubts that.
More likely, Daddy Drumpf donated. Donald expressed great concern about whether student Obama may have been admitted due to special treatment for minorities. Usually, right-wingers who express such concerns are guilty themselves, and lash out at others to try, somehow, to convince themselves that they are not in that category -- in this case, the "minority" was having gobs of greenbacks to throw at the school. Think of all the right-wing ministers and politicians who lashed out at the gay community -- and who themselves were actually gay.
Did Donald Trump, who says he knows more about everything than anyone else, ace all of his exams at Wharton? His transcripts could tell us.
Ordinarily, I would not think showing foot x-rays or college transcripts really mattered in selecting a president. Obama, for example, never claimed he was smart. George W Bush never claimed he had bone spurs that kept him out of Vietnam, and it was clear that it took a lot of his daddy's help to do it.
But, Trump is different. His entire persona seems to be built on grandiose claims. Two of them, his explanation for lacking a military record, and his claim of super-intelligence, demand proof because he raised them as issues.
Let's see the x-rays. Let's see the transcripts and SAT scores.
I am willing to place my bets on the absence of bone spurs, a Daddy donation to give Donald special privileges on transfer, and, at best, mediocre grades.
Any takers?