After Democrat John Fetterman experienced a stroke earlier this year, a renowned newspaper in Pennsylvania joined the chorus of voices raising worries about the candidate’s fitness for the United States Senate.
In an editorial published on Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated Fetterman has not entirely recovered from the major stroke that he experienced back in May.
Further, it calls into question Fetterman’s fitness for office as a United States senator if he is not healthy enough to debate his opponent.
Due to a lack of debates between Dr. Mehmet Oz, and John Fetterman, who is recovering from a May stroke, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial Board said Tuesday it "has serious concerns" about whether Fetterman is physically able to serve if he wins.https://t.co/OX3elACHqT
— Newsmax (@newsmax) September 6, 2022
Side Effects of the Stroke
In May, just before he won the Democratic primary for the Senate, Fetterman had a stroke. Due to his recovery from his stroke, he didn’t return to the spotlight until August.
However, since returning to the campaign road, Fetterman frequently loses his place or muddles his words.
Dr. Oz’s campaign was criticized by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for “dragging the race farther and deeper into the mire.”
This was after they said Fetterman could pay for “any additional medical professionals” and permit him to have an earpiece with staff and papers during a hypothetical forum.
The editorial added if Oz wants to make the serious, but valid, charge that his opponent is not being forthright about his health, while running for the demanding, important position of a senator, he can do so without resorting to sandbox bullying.
I’ve accepted 5 debates, but John Fetterman STILL refuses to agree to talking about issues in front of Pennsylvanians. Voters deserve to hear from him. pic.twitter.com/7EhJa2M0NI
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) September 6, 2022
A campaign consultant for Fetterman said they are still trying to “figure out what a fair debate might look like with the lasting consequences of the auditory processing in mind.”
This is why they haven’t agreed to debate Oz just yet. Now that he’s back, Fetterman claims the only problem he still has is every once in a while, he forgets a word or mixes up two syllables.
He has also cast aspersions on Oz’s staff for making it plainly clear they find it humorous to insult a stroke survivor. On the other hand, Oz tried to dissociate himself from the attacks on Fetterman’s health.
A Lead in Polls
According to the most recent polling data compiled by RealClearPolitics, Fetterman still maintains a significant lead over Oz, with a margin of victory of 6.5 percentage points.
This is despite the fact he’s been absent from the campaign trail for several months, due to health concerns. As the day of the election draws closer, it seems as though the race has tightened up in the polls.
Even though Fetterman was absent from the campaign trail for the majority of the summer, his team nonetheless managed to launch a barrage of vicious online assaults against Oz, painting him as a wealthy, out-of-touch carpetbagger.
Recent examples include making fun of a famous doctor’s visit to Wegmans, which he pronounced “Wegners,” a store he spelled incorrectly.
On Nov. 8, Fetterman and Oz will compete to succeed retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
This article appeared in The Political Globe and has been published here with permission.
