Curt Flewelling, FISM News
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The tension between political revivals Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman just got hotter, although the race between the popular television personality and the lumbering champion of the common man has always been fascinating.
Their pedigrees and divergent political views are certainly enough to keep most people interested, particularly when the balance of power in the U.S. Senate may hinge on who emerges victorious. However, the plot has seriously thickened since Mr. Fetterman suffered a significant stroke just days before the Pennsylvania primary.
As the health of the Lieutenant Governor hung in the balance, many, including Dr. Oz, wished him well and offered prayers. However, as the months have dragged on, the toll that the stroke may have taken on the candidate is starting to become a major campaign issue.
The Democrat’s refusal to take part in the first proposed debate and his murky responses as to when he will engage his opponent have been pounced on by his challenger’s campaign.
On the heels of Fetterman stating that he will be skipping the first suggested televised event, senior strategist for the Oz campaign, Barney Keller, issued this blunt response: “The issue is that he keeps lying about his health. Let’s just call a spade a spade. He’s clearly not fully recovered from his stroke. We’ve seen the videos.”
Former Pennsylvania Congressman Ryan Costello echoed those sentiments. The former representative said, “He can barely talk and has barely left his house for two months.” He called Fetterman’s latest Twitter video “embarrassing.”
Both candidates are in a bit of a box. Fetterman’s own words insist that he feels multiple debates are important. Prior to his health challenge, the senate hopeful tweeted, “Like I’ve always said: Debates are an important part of this primary. We believe voters deserve no fewer than three network televised debates – including all candidates who make the ballot – before major media markets across PA.” His recent reluctance to follow through with this promise now looks suspect.
However, the GOP nominee has a conundrum as well. Bringing into question the cognitive abilities of a man who wants to be in the U.S. Senate is certainly warranted. However, if Oz is perceived as being insensitive to his opponent’s recovery, he runs the risk of looking heartless. Not a good look when trying to wrest the “common man” vote away from Fetterman.
Oz has repeatedly asserted that, as a physician, he has tremendous empathy for his opponent’s plight and has asked his rival, “How can I make it easier for you to debate?” However, his latest comments, although not as noxious as those of his surrogates, may have further stirred the pot.
The physician-turned-politician offered to allow his adversary to use notes and an earpiece during their debates. Although a seemingly innocuous gesture, this was followed by a proposal some viewed as patronizing. His campaign offered to pay for medical personnel to tend to Fetterman if he should need such assistance.
Fetterman pounced on those offers by retorting, “My recovery may be a joke to Dr. Oz and his team, but it’s real for me.”
Even though Oz feels Fetterman’s health is indeed an issue, he would much rather be talking about his opponent’s radical ideology. He asserts that the progressive’s policies on immigration (open borders and sanctuary cities), drug use (legalization of marijuana and heroin injection sites), and early parole of dangerous criminals will destabilize our country.
Oz would like nothing more than to challenge Fetterman to explain his far-left views in a public forum, but he is in a hurry-up-and-wait situation that must be navigated carefully. The former TV star is down by roughly 10% in the polls, but if Fetterman persists in his unwillingness to debate, his lead will no doubt shrink.