Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman is locked in a very tight race with Republican Mehmet Oz, who has been surging throughout the fall. The two men met for their only debate of the cycle last Tuesday, and it was a catastrophe for Fetterman. Polling in the field since that event has shown further gains for Oz, with several surveys vaulting the famous television doctor into a slight lead. For his part, in between rallies with high-profile Democrats, Fetterman has been giving a series of on-camera (not in-person) interviews to various media outlets -- in his trademark hooded sweatshirts, against a backdrop of a white brick wall -- resulting in more poor arguments and mangled sentences. Asked by a local news anchor about his brazen fracking flip-flop, and his tough-to-watch answer about it at the debate, Fetterman said this:
Anchor plays Fetterman's disastrous answer on fracking from the debate, then asks "do you understand why people are questioning your ability to be our senator?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 2, 2022
Fetterman: "No, I—I believe that, that my support of fracking has always been, been one that—in the past." pic.twitter.com/jIkkESIGHP
The thrust of the question was about his fitness to serve and the nature of the response he delivered last week. His reply, however, was about his 180 on fracking, about which he was again sadly incoherent. The fracking 'moment' was so stark that a major player in this contest's advertising wars is showcasing it as a 'no-frills, just watch' closing argument:
#PASEN: Closing ad from SLF-funded anti-Fetterman super PAC simply plays his response on fracking at the campaign’s sole debate last month:https://t.co/WoIFBcWv7R
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) November 2, 2022
Another recent Fetterman exchange produced this clip:
“What do you think the biggest cause of inflation is?”
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) November 1, 2022
Fetterman: “I think that simply is also where...let's talk about the trillions in...in massive tax or...uh, tax...uh, cuts to the corporate, uh, tax structure as well true."pic.twitter.com/ak2Ykq69Rv
The question was about the driving force behind inflation, and whether or not the Biden administration should be "doing more" about the problem. I'd say that the Biden administration has done more than enough damage on that front, as multiple Democratic economists have pointed the finger at Democrats' entirely partisan spending binge as a major driver of America's inflation pain, which is far more acute than it needs to be. Fetterman's take was to blame...the Republican tax reform law from five years ago, which drove the US economy into a period of strong and sustainable growth, featuring robust GDP numbers, record-low unemployment for numerous demographic groups, and long-awaited real wage increases. Our economy was roaring before COVID arrived from China and threw the entire world economy into shambles.
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Yet Fetterman's answer on inflation, which, again, even Democrat-aligned economists admit was exacerbated by Democratic policies, is to go back half-a-decade and attack a successful Republican policy that helped working and middle class people. It's totally nonsensical. And with the threat of a double-dip recession looming, is he arguing for a tax increase? Probably, since that's his default position, even though he failed to pay his own taxes on numerous occasions. That is the substantive response to Fetterman's inflation remarks. I'd say that his delivery, which is notable for its own reasons, speaks for itself. The optics are bad and painful. He is unfit for the job. But his actual answer, sweeping aside the syntax and confused language, is just dreadful. He has nothing of worth to say on inflation, which is the number one facing voters -- though you probably wouldn't know it, based on Democrats' ad spending and electoral messaging. A remarkable statistic, via the New York Times:
Wow. pic.twitter.com/HXCHnypyPL
— Brian Riedl 🧀 🇺🇦 (@Brian_Riedl) November 1, 2022
They've spent more than ten times more money on abortion messaging than on voters' top concern. Bold strategy. And the president wrapped up the campaign with another speech about 'democracy,' at a venue plagued by crime and economic hardship. These are choices they're actively making:
extremely on brand for Democrats to ignore the economy and crime heading into election day, but didn't expect them to pick quite so perfect a venue for it
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) November 2, 2022
Meanwhile, a huge and final cash infusion is pouring into a host of important Senate races over the closing days:
Mitch McConnell's Senate Leadership Fund is out with what's likely it's last huge spending dump, dropping $20.76 million in five Senate races.#GASen $5,320,149#PASen $4,272,270#NCSen $4,005,732#OHSen $3,741,404#NVSen $3,424,539
— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) November 1, 2022
SLF has spent ~$224M in the general election. https://t.co/PtosmLfIUY pic.twitter.com/LV8djXRppD
I'd be willing to bet the GOP will lean heavily into the economy...and crime:
"We want to get rid of cash bail”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 2, 2022
— John Fettermanpic.twitter.com/fsREZV8hwI
Kathy Hochul claims that crime in New York is a conspiracy, but for the family of Connie Tuori, and so many others, it's very much their reality every single day. pic.twitter.com/TZQurfpg0k
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) November 1, 2022
Five more days.
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