The first and only debate in Pennsylvania’s Senate race has drawn more attention to the tight contest.
Trend FoolBird’s-Eye View. As the November elections draw nearer, both parties have increasingly focused on the state of Pennsylvania, where a tight Senate race could decide control of the chamber. Incumbent Senator Pat Toomey (R) is retiring, leaving an open seat in the crucial swing state. Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman (D) and Mehmet Oz (R) — a former TV personality and cardiothoracic surgeon — are fighting to succeed him and potentially earn their party the Senate majority. Democrats have long considered Pennsylvania their best pickup opportunity as President Biden carried it in 2020. Yet the Keystone State has a long history of close elections, and Fetterman’s victory there is far from guaranteed. Biden’s win in Pennsylvania was narrow and came only four years after former President Trump won the state on his road to the White House. The polls for this year’s Senate race are incredibly tight, and — in the final weeks of the election cycle — anything could alter the trajectory in this battleground state.
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Debate Over Debate? What some observers have billed as the most closely watched midterm debate this year nearly didn’t happen. Oz repeatedly pushed for earlier and more frequent debates. However, the Fetterman campaign appeared reluctant to engage. His team argued that the Oz team was fighting them on accommodations for Fetterman’s auditory processing problems — a lingering effect from a May stroke. However, amid mounting pressure from media outlets and political leaders, Fetterman agreed to one debate. Ahead of their meeting, the Democrat’s aides sought to lower expectations, saying Oz — a longtime TV personality — had a “huge built-in advantage.” On Tuesday, the pair faced off in a primetime showdown with massive stakes.
The “Elephant” in the Room. The Oz campaign has repeatedly seized on the Lieutenant Governor’s stroke in May and ongoing recovery to argue that Fetterman is incapable of serving. The Democrat’s team has not been fully transparent about the incident, refusing to release medical records or allow reporters to interview his doctors. Fetterman’s primary physician has said he is fit to take office, but nagging symptoms leave him sometimes struggling to speak or mushing words together. In the highly watched debate, his difficulty articulating himself reignited fresh concerns about his health, as Republicans sought to portray him as incapacitated. While some Democrats worried about Fetterman’s performance, many defended him from what they derided as ableist attacks, claiming his speech struggles did not indicate any cognitive failures.
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Oz on Abortion. Oz faced accusations of extremism from the Left — particularly on abortion. Reporters have repeatedly asked the TV doctor his position on the 15-week national abortion ban bill Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced earlier this year. While he claimed he would not back “federal rules that block the ability of states to do what they wish to do,” he refused to take an explicit position on the legislation. Additionally, Oz said he believed decisions about abortion should be between women, doctors, and “local political leaders.” Democrats have seized on the comment and Oz’s perceived ambiguity on the topic, accusing him of backing a radical position on abortion. Meanwhile, Fetterman says he supports the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling the Supreme Court overturned with its Dobbs decision earlier this year.
Fetterman on Fracking. Throughout the evening, Oz sought to cast Fetterman as too extreme for Pennsylvania. He cited energy policy — specifically fracking — as an example of where Fetterman lies outside the mainstream, drawing on voters’ concerns about elevated gas prices. Fetterman struggled to clarify his position on the issue. In response to Oz’s attack, he first said he “absolutely supports” and has “always supported” fracking. Yet the state’s Lieutenant Governor has a long history of opposition to the practice. In 2016, he said he backed a moratorium on fracking, and in 2018, he told a left-wing podcast, “I don’t support fracking at all, and I never have.” When debate moderators pushed Fetterman to clarify his stance in light of those comments, the Democrat stumbled through his response, saying: “I do support fracking, and I don’t, I don’t, I support fracking, and I stand and I do support fracking.” Oz and other Republicans have seized on the incident to accuse Fetterman of flip-flopping.
The Hamden Journal
Hochul v. Zeldin. In the latest polls, Republican challenger Lee Zeldin has closed the gap on Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul for the New York governor’s race. During the debate, Zeldin attacked Hochul’s bail reform policies and her lack of experience from inheriting the Governor’s mansion from former Governor Andrew Cuomo following his resignation. While Zeldin focused on crime, Hochul pointed to Zeldin’s right-leaning positions being unpopular with the Democratic-leaning state.
DeSantis v. Crist. With a supportive audience in tow, Crist came out swinging in a highly divisive debate versus the presidential hopeful DeSantis. Breaking the debate rules, Crist asked DeSantis to commit to serving all four years of his gubernatorial term — a tactful question designed to poke whether DeSantis will make a presidential run in 2024 — to which DeSantis responded: “The only worn-out old donkey I’m looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist.” The debate also veered into the realm of abortion and the debates surrounding transition surgeries on minors resulting in major outbursts from the audience.
ABC 7
In the aftermath of the Pennsylvania Senate debate, Republicans have lobbed disgusting attacks at John Fetterman over lingering complications from a stroke earlier this year. The GOP continues to stoop lower in their raging quest for power, willing to engage in ableist smear campaigns just for a chance at retaking the Senate majority. This debate outlined the clear choice for Pennsylvania: Will we move forward with John Fetterman, a public servant dedicated to fighting for working-class people in his state? Or will we lose our progress as a quack con artist backs radical positions on everything from abortion to immigration?
It is clear that Fetterman’s cognitive abilities have suffered as a result of the stroke. It is a travesty that his family and campaign has decided to continue when the best medical step would be for him to rest. In addition, the aftermath of his stroke has left him incapable of fully serving the office he is seeking. Imagine trying to debate on the floor of the Senate or represent Pennsylvania to foreign dignitaries — Fetterman will clearly struggle. In terms of the other debates, it is clear that Americans value safety, economic security, and less divisiveness; all factors the Democrats will be unable to provide.
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