There are less than three months until the midterm election and the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania is one of the higher-profile contests playing out. But, rather than debating current issues such as how to unleash American energy production, tamp down federal spending, or secure the U.S.-Mexico border, Democrat nominee John Fetterman is trying to make the race about crudité and tequila.
Fetterman, whose general election campaign started with the current lieutenant governor in a hospital recovering from a stroke and major surgery, sparked things when he seized on a video of GOP nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz shopping at a grocery store that first circulated in April.
"I thought I'd do some grocery shopping," Oz says in the video, scouring shelves of a misidentified "Wegners" grocery store in search of vegetables for "crudité" that his wife likes. Listing off the prices of the items he's buying — $2 for broccoli, $4 for asparagus, $4 for carrots, $4 for guacamole, and $6 for Salsa — Oz explains "that's $20 for crudité and this doesn't include the tequila!" That price, according to Oz, is "outrageous, and we've got Joe Biden to thank for this," he says in a hit on the runaway inflation ushered in by Democrats.
Fetterman made the video from April trend on Twitter earlier this week when he shared it while pointing out "In PA we call this a... veggie tray."
Mmmmm ?? crudité pic.twitter.com/SVqQDGOKEd
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 16, 2022
The Fetterman campaign then released a special promotional sticker reading "Wegners: Let Them Eat Crudité." Fetterman claims it sold 5,000 of them in the first 24 hours after it launched and his campaign has reportedly brought in more than $65,000 in new cash from the troll.
Wow - Over 5,000 Crudité stickers sold in the last 24 hours.
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 17, 2022
Giggle. ??
Limited quantities so get yours here now.https://t.co/UO6wjtwRxv
And then Fetterman doubled down with another video fundraising appeal explaining to Pennsylvanians that if a veggie tray "looks like anything other than a Veggie Tray to you, then I am probably not your candidate."
In PA, we call this a Veggie Tray.
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 17, 2022
If this looks like anything other than a Veggie Tray to you, then I am probably NOT your candidate lol
Get in on the joke with me - Will you make a campaign contribution of ANY amount before the end of the night? https://t.co/wMyObj0ZNA pic.twitter.com/LHhNx0DNwv
Dan Rather jumped into the pile-on:
Overheard in New Jersey: “Can we have a clean up in aisle 10 in the produce section? Someone just spilled their Senate campaign.”
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 16, 2022
Local unions even got in on the fray, hyping up their grocery store employees:
Our grocery members are always ready to help with all of your c?r?e?w?d?i?t?e? c?r?o?o?d?i?t?t?a?y? c?r?u?d?i?t?è? vegetable needs. pic.twitter.com/kiYuq218gN
— UFCW Local 1776 (@UFCWLocal1776) August 15, 2022
But the debate over crudité, as many on the right pointed out, is a bizarre attempt at diversion from the fact that, as Townhall has covered, Fetterman's fitness remains under serious doubt while he refuses to agree to debates with Oz before November.
Dr Oz was honest with voters about how he pronounced vegetables
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) August 18, 2022
Fetterman has been dishonest with voters about the fact that he is a vegetable
Oz recently explained his video, saying that he "was exhausted" when he made the video before explaining "when you’re campaigning 18 hours a day you, listen, I’ve gotten my kids’ names wrong as well." When asked about the questions Fetterman raised about Oz's ability to relate to Pennsylvanians, he explained "I’ve taken care of patients, saved lives, invented devices. I’ve started foundations where we take care of tens of thousands of teens around the country trying to help wherever I can. That’s what my life’s been about."
On Thursday, Cook Political Report switched its rating for the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race from "tossup" to "lean Democrat" and the current Real Clear Politics polling average shows Democrat Fetterman up 8.7 over Oz.
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