SOLVED. Adult Mainstream novel from the 1970s about a president of the US who goes blind. [s]

[Nancy]

This novel was about a President who loses his sight temporarily (while on the campaign trail for re-election??) and causes a crisis within his Cabinet as to whether he should resign or not. At first, they agree to support him. Then it happens again, and the Cabinet again meets to decide his fate, and this time those who were so supportive are no longer willing. Another plot line is about the president has both a girlfriend and a secretary, who secretly loves him. At the end the secretary and he make love, but he realizes it is not his girlfriend since she can't handle the fact that he is blind. Then he realizes it is the secretary who is willing to be with him regardless of whether or not he regains his sight.

I read this during my college years (1974-1978) during a summer break. It was a mass market paperback so don't know if it ever was in a hard cover edition or not.

[Nancy]

Nancy wrote: "This novel was about a President who loses his sight temporarily (while on the campaign trail for re-election??) and causes a crisis within his Cabinet as to whether he should resign or not. At fir..."

Any ideas?

[Brenna]

Maybe Full Disclosure by William Safire?

[Kaylee]

Nancy wrote: "This novel was about a President who loses his sight temporarily (while on the campaign trail for re-election??) and causes a crisis within his Cabinet as to whether he should resign or not. At fir..."

Was this book fiction? or real life-based?

[Nancy]

Kaylee,
Thanks for responding. It was fiction.

[Nancy]

Brenna wrote: "Maybe Full Disclosure by William Safire?"

Thanks for responding.
No, I don't think so because the president is on a train when he hits his head causing the temporary blindness if I recall correctly. He definitely wasn't on a helicopter as it is with Safire's novel.

[Brenna]

Nancy wrote: "Brenna wrote: "Maybe Full Disclosure by William Safire?"

Thanks for responding.
No, I don't think so because the president is on a train when he hits his head causing..."

In case you want to check it out, it's available to borrow here:
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15140...

Here are a few snippets I found using the search inside feature that mention a campaign train incident:

"That was troubling to the doctor; the President had forgotten that Curtice had stayed behind with Niklayev. Abelson reminded him, adding his misgivings about not telling the medical team about Ericson's previous experience with blindness on the campaign train less than a year before."

"What happened was that Ericson was in his upper berth with Buffie, the photographer, humpin' away between stops. When the damn engineer slammed on the brakes, Sven smashed his head into the end of the berth."

[Nancy]

Thanks Brenna. That may be it after all, but I will check it out with the link I posted. As I said, I read this novel more than 40 years ago.

[Nancy]

I think this is definitely it. Consider it solved. Thanks, Breanna, for the help.