Love how Lt. Gov. John Fetterman mocks and skewers the phony pretentious plutocrat DONALD JOHN TRUMP picked to run for the United States Senate from Pennsylvania.
From The Washington Post:
Opinion Distinguished pol of the week: Fetterman shows how to run as a populist
His latest anti-Oz barrage is all about vegetables. Oz filmed a disastrous video in which he shopped for “crudités” at a grocery store. Fetterman’s response:
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
The Democrat raised $500,000 from that round of mockery.
Oz was also caught saying that, despite reports that he owns 10 homes, he “legitimately” (?!) owns only two properties. Fetterman responded:
Dr. Oz claimed he has only two houses. Survey says.... pic.twitter.com/CLJbhQCH7U
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 17, 2022
Fetterman has used MTV’s “Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi to paint Oz as a carpetbagger from New Jersey. He also has supported Oz’s induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
All this has driven Oz’s negative ratings up, his fundraising down and Republicans’ angst sky-high. The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently slashed ad spending in Pennsylvania by a stunning $7.5 million.
Fetterman has opened up a significant lead, 11.5 percent in FiveThirtyEight’s poll average, in a state that Republicans had not unreasonably thought they could hold. Cook Political Report has changed the race from “Toss-Up” to “Lean Democratic.” Cook Political Report’s Jessica Taylor writes: “Fancy French appetizer plates aside, a simple glance at Oz compared to the hoodie-and-shorts clad tattooed Fetterman, and it’s not surprising to discern who comes across as more authentic and relatable to voters.” It didn’t help that Oz “spent much of the end of June into early July on vacation in Ireland, and post-primary traveled frequently to Palm Beach.”
Thanks to his clever and opportunistic assault on Oz, Fetterman has come across as the more energetic, engaged and certainly good-humored of the two, despite the stroke he suffered just before the primary.
Fetterman’s campaign holds a few lessons for Democrats. First, find a relatable candidate, not necessarily one with poll-tested positions or known for what passes for eloquence in political circles. Then, let him run as a genuine article. Second, humor is among the most effective techniques. What is Oz supposed to say — “Stop laughing at me!”? There is no real rebuttal to well-targeted mockery.
And lastly, recognize that Republican “populism” is a facade. Whether it is multimillionaire Oz or Yale Law School graduate and millionaire J.D. Vance in Ohio or one of the Ivy League-educated Republican senators, the notion that the GOP MAGA panderers represent the average American is farcical. (Their policies, including taxing the poor, protecting corporations from paying at least something in taxes, repealing the Affordable Care Act and sunsetting Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid surely are not “populist” in any sense of the word.)
Fetterman is a walking, talking, veggie-tray-buying rebuttal to the argument that Democrats have to change their policies to appeal to non-college-educated voters. Fetterman’s center-left policies (e.g., pro-choice, capping insulin at $35, supporting the Inflation Reduction Act) are popular. It’s his cultural persona and personal connection that have made a difference in the race.
For his successful campaign strategy, depicting Oz as a phony out-of-stater and showing Democrats what a real populist looks and sounds like, we can say, “Well done, Mr. Fetterman.”
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