🇺🇸 Oz No Longer a Wizard?

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POLITICS

Oz No Longer a Wizard?

Yesterday marked 11 weeks until election day. One race that is being closely followed is taking place in Pennsylvania. Democratic nominee Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is squaring off against his Republican rival, Mehmet Oz for a seat in the US Senate.

Why it matters: CBS News' Sarah Ewall-Wice wrote, "The Senate race in Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground for both parties fighting over who will control the Senate after the November elections. Democrats see it as a possible pickup, with GOP Senator Pat Toomey retiring." Roll Call's Niels Lesniewski wrote, "Keeping the seat in Republican hands is an important part of the party's effort to flip control of the 50-50 Senate."

Reporting from the Left: Trump said Dr. Oz will 'lose' Pa. Senate race without major changes (Business Insider)

Reporting from the Right: Analysts' ratings shift in favor of Democrats in Pennsylvania Senate race (Fox News)

Last week the Cook Political Report shifted the race’s outcome from “toss-up” to “lean Democrat” in favor of Fetterman. The race has been notable given Dr. Oz’s status as a TV personality and his endorsement from former President Trump. Here are both sides' perspectives on the race and its potential outcome.

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Fetterman is Incompetent, Oz Shouldn’t Be Losing to Him

• The left believes career politicians like Fetterman are morally superior for not working in the private sector. In reality, they contribute little and leech off the taxpayers’ dime.

• This shouldn’t be a difficult race, but Dr. Oz doesn’t seem to be invested in winning given his weak campaigning efforts.

• Republicans seem to have given up on this race and are handing it over to a Fetterman who, with a gun, chased down a Black jogger.

“Does Dr. Oz want to be a senator?” Tiana Lowe, Washington ExaminerOpinion: “In a year in which the sitting Democratic president’s approval ratings can barely crack 40% on a good day, Republicans' nominee for Senate from Pennsylvania is blowing it. ... The telegenic TV doc, capable of charming the sort of suburban women for decades that the GOP needs right now to recoup the Keystone State, does not seem to want to actually become a senator. ... During the GOP primary recount, Oz should have been fighting for his political life and smoothing over the divisions sown by a contentious primary. Instead, he vacationed in Palm Beach until June 9. Then, Oz jetted off to a second vacation in Ireland at the end of June. Donald Trump is reportedly unhappy with the candidate he carried over the finish line for only returning to the campaign trail in July. ... Until Oz steps up and proves himself the sort of candidate I was foolish enough to believe could win, we can only assume he doesn't want to downgrade his first-class lifestyle to the swamp of the United States Senate."

“Ben Shapiro: "Career Useless Person" John Fetterman Is A Perfect Candidate For The Democratic Party” Tim Hains, Real Clear Politics: “...people who claim they live lives like you simply don't. They don't earn money for their families. They take money from you to pay their salaries. They don't create jobs, they've never created jobs. They experiment with your business and your job. And they do this because, according to the left, they are morally superior. In fact, the very fact that they don't work in the private sector makes them superior. Their career uselessness is a sign of moral rectitude. You working your job is just proof they should boss you around. Which brings us back to John Fetterman. John Fetterman is truly authentic, according to the left, because you have to be freed from the bonds of capitalism to find yourself. The fact that you've been an economic dead weight for your entire adult life is what makes you most valuable to the world because the system is bad, and earning money in that system is bad.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: Are Republicans Giving Up In A Senate Race Where The Democrat Chased Down A Random Black Jogger With A Shotgun? Dana Loesch, Substack

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Fetterman is Authentic, Oz Is a Phony

• Fetterman has waged an effective campaign targeting Dr. Oz for being out of touch and not an actual resident of Pennsylvania.

• Dr. Oz is a phony and inauthentic candidate, and he is struggling to conceal that fact to Pennsylvania’s voters.

• As someone without strong roots in Pennsylvania, voters are likely to punish Dr. Oz for attempting to exploit the state.

“Distinguished pol of the week: Fetterman shows how to run as a populist” Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post Opinion: “Voters choose candidates with whom they identify. Fetterman has the good fortune to be running against TV snake-oil salesman Mehmet Oz, infamous for hawking quack medical remedies. Oz is also a multimillionaire who has been living in New Jersey, purchasing a home in Pennsylvania less than a year ago. And Fetterman has been skewering him nonstop for his phoniness, out-of-touchness and lack of Pennsylvania street cred. … Oz was also caught saying that, despite reports that he owns 10 homes, he 'legitimately' (?!) owns only two properties. … 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.”

“The Humiliation of Dr. Oz Is Nearly Complete” Alex Shephard, The New Republic Opinion: “Dr. Oz should be better at this. … [He] was a daytime television fixture in large part because he had a penchant for selling quick fixes to complex, sometimes intractable problems. … In the months since Oz won Donald Trump’s endorsement…very little has gone according to plan. In late July, Politico reported that 'the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised concerns about Oz’s lackluster polling and fundraising on at least three separate occasions in recent weeks.' … From April to the start of July, his Democratic opponent, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, raised nearly nine times more money than Oz managed—and half of the $3.8 million Oz brought in was money he loaned his own campaign. But the biggest problem with Oz’s candidacy is that he is an utter phony with a comical inability to conceal this fact from the public view. And this is surprising since hiding his obvious insincerity has hitherto been an important part of his skill set.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: Dr. Oz should be worried: Voters punish ‘carpetbaggers,’ Charles B. Hunt, The Indiana Gazette

FLAG THIS

Oz Supporters Lack Enthusiasm

In a Fox News poll released last Thursday, Fetterman holds an 11-point lead over Dr. Oz, 47%-36%.

Oz is struggling to consolidate support among Republican voters. By a 16-point margin, fewer Republicans are staying loyal to him (73%) than Democrats to Fetterman (89%). This is also the case where the candidates’ favorability is concerned. More Democrats view Fetterman positively (88%) than Republicans view Oz (67%).

Moreover, only 35% of those backing Oz say they support him enthusiastically, and a significant 45% have reservations. On the other hand, 68% back Fetterman enthusiastically, with only 18% feeling hesitant. (Fox News)

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