🇺🇸 Unfettered Debate

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Good morning, and happy Friday! It’s got nothing to do with coronavirus, but scientists say this vaccine is “world-changing”...

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📉 Biden Job Approval: Approve 44, Disapprove 54 (Economist/YouGov)

📉 Biden Job Approval: Approve 42, Disapprove 54 (NPR/PBS/Marist)

🐎 2022 Generic Congress Vote: Republicans 44, Democrats 48 (NPR/PBS/Marist)

🐎 2022 Generic Congress Vote: Republicans 38, Democrats 44 (Economist/YouGov)

TRENDING

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Left: BLM infighting has been brewing for years, but the movement's mission 'isn't finished' (CNN)

Left: Michelle Obama Appears To Throw Shade At Trump: 'Once Our Time's Up, We Move On' (Huffington Post)

Right: CNN, ABC, ESPN promoted Duke volleyball player's racial slur story, go quiet on developments debunking claim (Fox News)

Right: Democrats run from Biden’s divisive MAGA speech (Washington Examiner)

Right: Biden to introduce social credit system like China? (The Blaze)

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RIP Queen Elizabeth, Stabbing Questions, DOJ Appeal

World: Obituary: Queen Elizabeth II (BBC) + ‘May Her Pain Be Excruciating’: Professor Wishes Dying Queen Elizabeth More Suffering (Daily Wire) + What happens to British monarchy now that Charles is King (Insider) + Operation Unicorn The plan triggered by Queen Elizabeth's death in Scotland (NY Post)

World: Key questions remain after the death of a second Canada stabbing suspect, who police say might be responsible for 10 victim fatalities (CNN)

US: DOJ will appeal judge order to appoint special master to review records seized by FBI from Trump's Mar-a-Lago (Fox News)

US: California extends Flex Alert for 9th straight day with more record-setting heat on tap (ABC)

US: Bannon charged with money laundering in border wall fundraising case (Axios)

World: European Central Bank makes unprecedented interest rate hike to contain record inflation as economy heads for recession (ABC)

Business: Steve Job’s daughter slams new iPhone 14 and says its ‘same as old version’ (The Sun)

US: 71 large wildfires blazing across US as firefighters swelter in 100F heatwaves (The Independent)

US: Liberals push Biden on marijuana reform ahead of midterm momentum (The Hill)

ECONOMY

Unfettered Debate

As we get closer to the midterms, Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman says he will participate in a debate with Dr. Mehmet Oz as both men campaign for the US Senate. They’re vying to replace retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey. It’s not clear where or when the debate would take place.

Reporting From the Right: CNN's SE Cupp says Dem candidate Fetterman given a ‘total pass’ from the press in Senate race against Oz (Fox News)

Reporting from the Left: Dems defend Fetterman's low profile amid GOP health attacks: 'Why should he help Oz?' (POLITICO)

From The Flag: Fetterman canceled a debate scheduled for earlier this week, citing his ongoing recovery from a stroke and heart surgery that occurred this May. Oz maintains Fetterman wants to hide his “radical views” by avoiding the debate stage. Last month we took a look at the key race overall, which could tip the Senate’s balance of power. Here’s the latest from both sides.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Fetterman Shows Political Savvy, Brushes Aside Oz’s Health Attacks

• Fetterman agreeing to debate was a shrewd political move because it effectively stops any momentum Dr. Oz was gaining through the health issue.

• The Oz campaign has routinely made mistakes and stepped in mud when it didn’t have to, and the latest attacks on Fetterman’s health are more of the same.

• Dr. Oz has seen his campaign struggle all summer and is now employing a risky strategy: when all else fails, mock your opponent’s health.

“Why John Fetterman just made a very smart move on debates” Chris Cillizza, CNN: “The last few days have been John Fetterman’s worst in his bid to be the next US senator from Pennsylvania. His campaign’s wishy-washy answers on whether he would debate Dr. Mehmet Oz following a stroke he suffered in May left the impression that Fetterman wasn’t being completely transparent about his health. Which is why what the Democrat did on Wednesday night was very smart. … The issue wasn’t going away. … At some point between now and November, he has to prove that he is up to the rigors of a campaign and serving in office. So, it’s best to confront those questions head on – and at a time and place of his choosing. … He was on the defensive. … Oz, who had struggled to find an issue with any real salience to make a move on Fetterman, finally found one. … He can now paint himself as a sympathetic figure.”

“Mehmet Oz's senate campaign has become a waterfall of unforced errors” Zeeshan Aleem, MSNBC: “(Oz’s) campaign recently issued this remarkable statement to Insider about his Democratic opponent: ‘If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn't have had a major stroke and wouldn't be in the position of having to lie about it constantly.’ It’s a shockingly cruel statement about Fetterman, who has been recovering from a stroke he had in May and only recently returned to the campaign trail. But what also stands out about it is how it draws attention to Oz’s most salient weakness in his race, which is a seemingly unending series of stories about how out of touch he is with ordinary people in his state. … Fetterman is striving to address what he described as neglected heart problems. That puts him in relatable territory: Nearly half of all American adults have some kind of cardiovascular disease, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in America.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: When, Exactly, Is It OK to Make Fun of a Political Opponent for Having a Stroke? Jim Newell, Slate

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Voters Are Being Left in the Dark About Fetterman’s Health, and His Policies

• Voters have legitimate questions about Fetterman’s stance on certain issues, and if he can campaign he can participate in a debate.

• Anyone with compassion and understanding is rooting for a full recovery from Fetterman, but voters need full transparency about where he is at right now.

• It’s apparent Fetterman was less than transparent about his medical condition, but addressing a candidate’s health is dicey for the media and politicians alike.

“Will Pennsylvania Get a Fetterman-Oz Debate?” Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal: “Pennsylvanians should hope they don’t have to pick a Senate candidate this year without getting to see the two nominees argue their cases. … ‘As I recover from this stroke and improve my auditory processing and speech, I look forward to continuing to meet with the people of Pennsylvania,’ he said. ‘They’ll always know where I stand.’ But do they? … Would he vote for Medicare for All? … What if that bill also makes private insurance illegal, as Bernie Sanders has proposed? It’s a question Mr. Fetterman should be asked. Stroke recoveries can take time, and voters understand that. Mr. Oz’s surrogates suggest Mr. Fetterman isn’t up to being a Senator, and he could prove otherwise by agreeing to debate. More to the point, if Mr. Fetterman can campaign around the state and speak at rallies, he can participate in a debate.”

“John Fetterman must debate and let Pennsylvania voters decide if he’s up to the job” Rich Lowry, New York Post Opinion: “John Fetterman has been in elected politics for nearly 20 years and last spring was on the cusp of taking the Democratic nomination in a very winnable Pennsylvania Senate race, the political opportunity of a lifetime. Then he suffered a stroke. He won the nomination anyway — while in the hospital and on the same day he had a roughly three-hour operation to implant a defibrillator. For Fetterman to have experienced a life-threatening, debilitating health event as he closed in on achieving a long-held ambition… was a terrible misfortune. Everyone of good will should wish him a full and rapid recovery and years of good health ahead. He is not fully recovered, though. There is no doubt his health status is an entirely legitimate issue and should be wholly litigated before Pennsylvania voters choose between Fetterman and his Republican opponent, the TV doctor Mehmet Oz.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: The realities of covering John Fetterman Salena Zito, Washington Examiner

FLAG THIS

It’s a Close Race, but Majority Expect a Fetterman Victory

Earlier polling showed Fetterman with a double-digit lead over Oz, but more recent data indicates the race is tightening. Results published late last month put Fetterman ahead (48%) of Oz (44%) with the rest of the group either undecided or in support of other candidates.

More than half (56%) expect Fetterman to win, which would tip the balance of the Senate in the Democrats favor (Emerson College).

FLAG FINDS

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Surprise Screening, Apocalypse Prep, Common Birthday

On September 9, 1939, audiences at the Fox Theater in Riverside, California, got a surprise showing of Gone with the Wind, which the theater manager shows as a second feature. Producer David O. Selznick sat in the back and observed the audience reaction to his highly anticipated—and highly controversial—film. The movie was released a few months later.

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Nautilus: Are All Brains Good at Math?

Today I Learned the nineteen days between September 16th and October 4th are the nineteen most common birthdays in the England and Wales.