Megan Udinski, FISM News
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Sony announced they would be cancelling ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ ending its 13-year run. At the end of November, Mehmet Oz, the renowned host of the series, announced he would be running as a conservative Republican for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022.
The show will be replaced by the spinoff ‘The Good Dish,’ currently hosted by his daughter Daphne Oz. This decision came two weeks after television stations in New York City, Philadelphia, and Cleveland announced they would no longer broadcast the show due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.
The FCC created a list of rules and regulations back in 1934 to promote equal advertising opportunities for political candidates and to limit the influence broadcasting stations could have on elections. Specifically, the equal-opportunities rule requires a broadcasting station to provide equal time on their show to all candidates.
The stations feared that continuing to run the show would violate the equal-opportunities rule, specifically where Mehmet Oz is running.
After taking up residence in New Jersey for over two decades, the doctor moved to Pennsylvania last year. He voted by absentee ballot in the state’s November elections using his in-laws’ address, according to the Associated Press. In a campaign video announcement on Twitter, Dr. Oz explains his motivation behind running for the U.S. senate.
I’m running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania because America needs a Conservative Republican to cure what’s wrong with Washington. I’m a world-class surgeon, fighter, and health care advocate stepping forward to cure our country’s ills. Watch my announcement video now! pic.twitter.com/yLhKsZm9sl
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) November 30, 2021
Dr. Oz emphasizes that his experience as a doctor and tv host qualify him to run for office. While his passion is not specifically about serving Pennsylvania, he is eager to change how the country has responded to the pandemic, as well as how we view life itself.
While his conservative values and support for former President Donald Trump seem to indicate he would be an excellent republican candidate, there are some that would hesitate to promote him.
The doctor has undergone much scrutiny about the medical advice he gives on his show, specifically his support of homeopathic remedies and use of colorful language describing products as “miracles” and “cure-alls.” He has also undergone backlash regarding the suggestions he has made in Fox interviews surrounding the coronavirus.
After announcing his run for political office, Dr. Oz stated his feelings regarding Dr. Anthony Fauci, saying, “I believe Anthony Fauci should be held accountable for misleading, whether willfully or unintentionally, the American public and the United States Congress.”
In an interview with The Post, Dr. Oz explained his perspective on the Black Lives Matter movement, stating, “While our Constitution protects the right to peaceably assemble, anything that involves rioting, looting, or destruction needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We need to support law enforcement and provide them with the tools and resources they need to do their job of keeping our communities safe – including keeping dangerous criminals off the street.”
He also rebuked the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools.
It seems as if the doctor checks off all the Republican boxes. However, as an interesting anecdote, Christians should be aware that Oz gets his perspective on life from a mix of Muslim upbringing and the Swedenborgian religion, which his wife is a part of. While this small organization gets its roots in the Bible, the religion is based more on personal experience and universalism. His study of this faith has led to his push for homeopathic remedies.