The 2022 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race between television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz on the Republican side and Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman is capturing tons of national media attention, but not for the reasons Dr. Oz would prefer. The Oz campaign has been especially tone-deaf, making one mistake after another, and Fetterman and his campaign have been quick to capitalize on each one.
Essentially, the Oz-Fetterman race has turned into a Culture War, to the great disadvantage of Dr. Oz. Usually, it’s the Republicans who try to run on Culture War issues, whether it’s abortion, attacking LGBTQ people and their rights, book banning, guns, etc., mostly as a distraction, because Republicans are extremely unpopular on economic and other issues of importance to most Americans. In Pennsylvania, however, Fetterman has turned the tables on Republicans regarding cultural issues.
That’s because, first and foremost, Dr. Oz isn’t even from Pennsylvania. He’s a long-time resident of New Jersey. And Oz’s lack of awareness of anything related to Pennsylvania, as well as his elitism, has become painfully apparent:
–Fetterman calls Oz “Doc Hollywood,” and loves to post this photo of Oz kissing the ground on the Hollywood Walk of Fame:
A dollar a day keeps Dr Oz away from the Senate.
Seriously.
Can you chip in $1 to help build the most powerful grassroots senate campaign together? https://t.co/sIzDDL2ySb
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 24, 2022
–Dr. Oz could not even correctly spell the name of the town that he listed as his Pennsylvania address. And that location is not his home, it’s his in-laws’ address. This has resulted in humorous billboards such as this one:
holy shit look what is up in pennsylvania pic.twitter.com/U5JKg2XFl8
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) August 17, 2022
–Fetterman has also mocked Oz for his ownership of many luxury homes, including mega-mansions costing tens of millions of dollars, and vague answers when asked about such homes. Apparently, the number of such homes is 10. Dr. Oz bizarrely responded that only two of these are “homes,” the rest of them are “properties,” as if that is a real distinction, or one that would make a difference to Pennsylvania voters. And note how Fetterman’s mockery appropriates the Culture War statement “he’s not one of us” that Republicans like to use against Democrats:
Mr. "10 Properties" couldn't be more out of touch with hard-working Pennsylvanians.
He's not one of us. https://t.co/o7ZQ1QItp0
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 19, 2022
SO BASICALLY I OWN TEN PROPERTIES BUT “LEGITIMATELY” ONLY TWO HOMES. A HOME IS JUST ANYTHING IN NEW JERSEY, WHERE I LIVE… MY MANSION IN FLORIDA IS JUST A VACATION HOME, SO THAT DOESN'T COUNT, AND THE ONE IN MAINE IS TECHNICALLY UNDER MY WIFES NAME SO IT'S NOT LEGITIMATELY MINE pic.twitter.com/vWFCIBlpjU
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 18, 2022
I’ve never spoken to a PA resident who doesn’t know how many houses they have… let alone be off by 8.
I can’t tell if he’s trying + failing to sound like a regular person (with ONLY TWO mansions) or if he genuinely has no idea. https://t.co/eZq9nV8uyQ
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 17, 2022
It helps greatly that Fetterman, in contrast, really is an Everyman, who often campaigns in hoodies and athletic shorts.
–But none of this matches the height of Dr. Oz’s campaign tone-deafness, which came when Oz clumsily filmed a video at a Pennsylvania supermarket, trying to put together ingredients for what he called “crudité”:
The ridiculous performance artist that is Mehmet Oz pretends he is grocery shopping for his wife. With someone filming. pic.twitter.com/xVoWqIfH8w
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 6, 2022
Dr. Oz was trying to show the effects of inflation on grocery shopping, but it went horribly wrong. For starters, Oz bungled the name of the supermarket, calling it “Wegner’s,” apparently a mashup of Wegman’s (where he was) and Redner’s. That’s quite insulting to Pennsylvanians, who, as one local newscaster stated, “love their grocery stores.” Then, during the video, in which Oz is trying to cosplay as the Common Man, with his shirt awkwardly tucked in, he frantically grabs at nearby items like someone who won a 5-minute supermarket shopping spree. He even grabs a 2-lb. bag of full-size carrots, which would be overkill for Bugs Bunny’s appetizer plate. He picks up homemade salsa for $6. Then asparagus for “$4 more,” although it’s likely no one would ever eat raw asparagus in their “crudité.” And then he strangely talks about “the Tequila,” as if, again, that had anything to do with “crudité.”
Hilariously, Fetterman set Oz straight as to what real Pennsylvanians call Oz’s concoction, at a price of about $6.99:
In PA we call this a… veggie tray https://t.co/nDp0Uw27zd
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 15, 2022
Mmmmm 😋 crudité pic.twitter.com/SVqQDGOKEd
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 16, 2022
And Chef José Andrés, who has fed millions of people in need as the founder of World Central Kitchen, even showed Oz how to shop and eat on a budget:
.@DrOz I’m inviting you to come with me and shop together! Buy the avocado+tomatoes you can make the guacamole+salsa for 2$ and you can make great vegetable fried rice for 12 people! Less than 1$ per person!😘#LearnToShopBipartisan pic.twitter.com/uGwJMYzRPt
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) August 15, 2022
–Digging his campaign grave even deeper, Dr. Oz recently stated that our military veterans should be forced off of healthcare they receive through the Veterans Administration, and into private health insurance. Once again, Fetterman was quick to attack:
Dr. Oz doesn’t give a sh*t about our veterans. But I sure do.
It’s as simple as that. 🇺🇸https://t.co/tSdxKSz5zb
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 23, 2022
The lowest and perhaps most desperate point of Dr. Oz’s campaign occurred this week, when his senior communications advisor, Rachel Tripp, referring to the stroke Fetterman suffered in May, stated that, “If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke….” Tripp then doubled down, tweeting:
An 🍎 a day… https://t.co/0PPpM6V9Gq
— Rachel Tripp (@retripp) August 23, 2022
But such mean-spirited, medically incorrect statements only led to further mockery and attacks on Oz and his campaign, especially given that nearly every child and adult knows the rest of the nursery rhyme Tripp quoted: “… keeps the doctor away.” That’s precisely what Fetterman’s supporters are trying to do:
We would all like to keep the doctor away from Pennsylvania, thank you for the advice.
— Joshua Lander 🇺🇦 (@lander) August 23, 2022
https://twitter.com/yoda/status/1562190202286018562
You're mocking stroke victims. Is this what you imagined for your life?
— Mike Rothschild (no relation) (@rothschildmd) August 24, 2022
I had a stroke. I survived it. I'm truly so grateful to still be here today.
I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges. pic.twitter.com/0fJHESjt4l
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 24, 2022
Don’t be surprised, therefore, if Fetterman’s followers show up at his rallies — and even better, at Oz’s events — prominently holding up apples. The comedy practically writes itself.
Of course, since Dr. Oz has an “R” next to his name, he will get plenty of Republican votes, thus the U.S. Senate race in politically divided Pennsylvania will likely be close. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund is adding another $9.5 million to support Oz, bringing the current total to a whopping $34 million. Nevertheless, an indication of how Pennsylvania voters feel about John Fetterman can be seen in this tweet from the U.S. Steelworkers Union yesterday:
We really love this guy ❤️ Because @JohnFetterman knows us – he’s our literal neighbor who lives across the street from our mill and union hall, and always been our friend. Can’t wait to see you in the U.S. Senate, pal. #1u #USWVoices #Elections2022 #EverybodysUnion pic.twitter.com/A61qb0ftpo
— United Steelworkers #EverybodysUnion (@steelworkers) August 23, 2022
If Fetterman wins this election, his campaign will be a study in what Democrats should do (including going on offense on cultural issues), and what Republicans should not do.
Photo by Governor Tom Wolf, used under Creative Commons. https://is.gd/AqsT05