November 1, 2024
It's the question being asked this morning by everyone who watched last night's debate between Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman: What in the world were Democrats thinking in allowing their candidate to get up on that stage? Fetterman suffered a stroke in May, and obviously that's nothing...

It’s the question being asked this morning by everyone who watched last night’s debate between Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman: What in the world were Democrats thinking in allowing their candidate to get up on that stage?

Fetterman suffered a stroke in May, and obviously that’s nothing anyone would have wished on him. It’s not a proper subject for scorn or mockery, and anyone who thinks it is should be recognized as part of the problem with American politics in 2022, not part of the solution.

That said … What in the world were Democrats thinking in allowing their candidate to get up on that stage? Because that decision by Fetterman’s campaign staff is a proper subject for scorn and mockery.

I’m not the only one raising the question. Reporters from The Hill and Time began asking — or at least implying — the same question last night.

Trending:

Two Unidentified Men Landed on a Remote Alaskan Island, Now We Finally Know Who They Are

Even left-leaning Politico, which, trust me, would love to do whatever they could think of to prop Fetterman up, had to face up to reality.

“Let’s state the obvious: John Fetterman struggled to effectively communicate during his one and only Senate debate with Mehmet Oz Tuesday in Harrisburg,” they wrote.

Did Tuesday’s debate hurt Fetterman’s election chances?

Yes: 0% (0 Votes)

No: 0% (0 Votes)

“And then Fetterman failed to meet even the low expectations his own campaign set for him Monday in a memo that predicted ‘awkward pauses, missing some words, and mushing other words together’ as well as ‘temporary miscommunications at times,’” this morning’s Playbook noted.

“There are two well-worn cliches about debates,” they added. “(1) They are rarely won but can sometimes be lost. (2) They are decided by the coverage in subsequent days rather than on debate night itself.

“Fetterman clearly lost last night.”

As Chris Stirewalt might say: Woof. When a Democrat has lost Politico, it’s hard to see where they’re going to go from there.

Related:

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul Accidentally Helps GOP Opponent Lee Zeldin with Puzzling Debate Comments – Look at His Face

You can watch the entire debate here:

[embedded content]

And yes, Politico then tried to offer a ray of hope to disappointed leftists by saying that Fetterman was beating Oz on the issue of abortion. Too bad abortion isn’t really a voting issue this year. And anyway, it’s not only Politico who recognized how bad last night was for the left.

That’s right: MSNBC ran a montage of Fetterman’s debate stuggles. MSNBC. Double woof.

In fact, one of their best-known talking heads, Joe Scarborough, may have summed up the evening best.

Scarborough did, however, get one prediction dead wrong.

Actually, many in the media, even left-leaning establishment sources like Time, The Hill and Politico couldn’t ignore how bad last night was for the Democrats and their chances of holding on to their razor-thin majority in the Senate after next month’s midterms.

Even The Washington Post weighed in.

“Fetterman sought to head off a shaky debate performance from the very first question,” The Post wrote in a story at the top of its homepage this morning.

“The debate came amid polls showing a tightening race, with Fetterman leading, but by a smaller margin than he had over the summer, and facing a steady stream of attacks from Oz and his allies. Democrats view Pennsylvania as their best chance to flip a seat; it is now held by retiring Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R).”

They’re probably re-thinking that view after last night.

Tags:

2022 midterm elections, abortion, Campaign, Democrats, Joe Scarborough, MSNBC, Pennsylvania, Politico, politics, polls, Senate, The Washington Post, US news, voting

George Upper is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Western Journal and an occasional co-host of “WJ Live,” powered by The Western Journal. He is currently a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. A former U.S. Army special operator, teacher and consultant, he is a lifetime member of the NRA and an active volunteer leader in his church. Born in Foxborough, Massachusetts, he has lived most of his life in central North Carolina.

George Upper, is the former editor-in-chief of The Western Journal and is now a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. He is a former U.S. Army special operator, teacher, manager and consultant. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from Foxborough High School before joining the Army and spending most of the next three years at Fort Bragg. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English as well as Master’s in Business Administration, all from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He now lives in central North Carolina with his wife and a Maine Coon named Princess Leia, for whose name he is not responsible. He is active in the teaching and security ministries in his church and is a lifetime member of the NRA. In his spare time he shoots, reads a lot of Lawrence Block and John D. MacDonald, and watches Bruce Campbell movies. He is a fan of individual freedom, Tommy Bahama, fine-point G-2 pens and the Oxford comma.

Birthplace

Foxborough, Massachusetts

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Beta Gamma Sigma

Education

B.A., English, UNCG; M.A., English, UNCG; MBA, UNCG

Location

North Carolina

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Faith, Business, Leadership and Management, Military, Politics