Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman’s display in Tuesday night’s debate fired up social media, with pundits from across the political scale labeling it an utter disaster.
Questionable Fitness for Office
Fetterman’s fitness for office has been questioned since he experienced a stroke earlier this year.
He’s shown he regularly has trouble understanding words, communicating, and frequently requires talks to be transcribed for him to comprehend what is being said.
The two nominees differed sharply on a wide range of issues, from abortion and crime to fracking and rising prices.
The Democrat portrayed his adversary as a liar. The Republican claimed his rival is aggressively progressive. Fetterman struggled and delivered disjointed comments as Oz, an experienced television anchor, aggressively pressured his adversary and even broke time constraints.
Oz criticized Fetterman’s campaign absence by repeatedly citing discussions he had with Pennsylvanians over the past few months. During the debate, Fetterman did not pledge to disclose his medical records.
In response, Fetterman condemned Oz’s extended stay in New Jersey. Fetterman struggled to maintain coherence, despite closed captioning equipment equipment placed behind the moderators to enhance his auditory processing.
The aftermath of the discussion was visible in betting markets, on cable news, and on social media. Pundits of differing opinions remarked that Fetterman’s clear health difficulties will likely end up being a big influence in the race’s conclusion.
The Pennsylvania Senate debate just began & it’s abundantly clear why Fetterman has been running away from debates.
He’s not making sense & sounds robotic, while Dr. Oz is articulate, sharing personal stories from the campaign trail, & is crushing him on policy.#PASenateDebate
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) October 26, 2022
Andrew Surabian, a political consultant, wrote, “Despite the moderators repeatedly interrupting Fetterman to save him from himself, there’s nothing the press can do to frame this argument.”
“Never before have I seen someone who is so clearly psychologically and physically unfit for office as John Fetterman.”
If Fetterman were a Republican, this debate would be an SNL cold open.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) October 26, 2022
“The media sheltered this individual,” wrote political commentator Mike Cernovich.
Charlotte Alter, a reporter for TIME Magazine, wrote on Twitter: “I met with Fetterman earlier. I anticipated he perform poorly tonight, but he was significantly worse than I feared.”
Analyst of the media Joe Concha tweeted, “It’s difficult to imagine this race not turning decisively after just 20 minutes of this debate. Some of Fetterman’s statements are completely illogical.”
Media Criticizes Fetterman
Joe Scarborough of MSNBC News stated, “John Fetterman’s communication abilities are severely deteriorated. Voters in Pennsylvania will discuss this clear fact, even though many in the press will not.”
Scarborough continued, “This is terrible to see, regardless of political affiliation.”
“This #PASenateDebate was excruciating to watch,” tweeted British commentator Piers Morgan.
“I feel extremely sorry for John Fetterman that he had a stroke, but it is terrible of his staff to subject him to such humiliation when he is obviously unqualified to participate in TV debates or be a fully-functioning senator. He ought to withdraw.”
Clay Travis, a sports pundit, posted, “This is probably the worst debate performance I’ve ever witnessed from a candidate. If this was a boxing match, they might abandon the fight. This is tragic. The entire @JohnFetterman campaign should be embarrassed for allowing this to occur.”
This article appeared in The Patriot Brief and has been published here with permission.
