Posted on 08/25/2022 4:08:29 PM PDT by lightman
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz’s campaign has seized on Democratic opponent John Fetterman’s silence on debates to continue attacking Fetterman for supposedly hiding from voters.
Oz has agreed to five debates, including one scheduled in less than two weeks, but Fetterman, who suffered a stroke on May 13 and only returned to the campaign trail earlier this month, has yet to commit to any debates.
“John is up for debating Oz and contrasting his plan and record with Dr. Oz so that Pennsylvania voters can get a real sense of where the candidates stand, but not on Oz’s desperate terms and timeline,” said Rebecca Katz, a Fetterman campaign senior advisor.
“This is just an obvious attempt to change the subject during yet another disastrous week for Dr. Oz,” Katz said.
So far, Oz has agreed to debates sponsored by:
KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Sept. 6 WFMZ-TV in Allentown and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sept. 9 Nexstar, which owns several TV stations in the state, on Oct. 5 Fox 29 in Philadelphia with Spotlight PA, date to be determined WGAL-TV in Harrisburg, date to be determined
In addition to an Aug. 12 rally in Erie, Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, made an appearance earlier this week at a United Steelworkers rally in Pittsburgh, but he did not take any questions from reporters.
John Fetterman:
“Dr. Oz has agreed to five debates. John Fetterman has agreed to zero debates,” said Brittany Yanick, Oz’s communications director, in a statement on Monday.
“If John is too sick to debate and is concerned he cannot stand in front of cameras for more than 10 minutes, then he should just say so,” Yanick said. “We’re sure voters would understand and so would we.”
On Wednesday, the Oz campaign stepped up its efforts, releasing a statement that included a Twitter post by Fetterman during the Democratic primary.
“Debates are an important part of this primary,” Fetterman wrote, committing to three televised debates.
Oz’s campaign also dug up tweets from Fetterman’s primary opponents -- state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Allegheny County – razzing Fetterman for missing debates.
Late Wednesday, Oz made an appearance on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show during which she played a clip of Fetterman’s address to steelworkers with the chyron reading, “Fetterman mumbles and stumbles through speech.”
“The question we’re asking is a legitimate one,” Oz told Ingraham. “Are you hiding because you don’t want to talk about your radical views or is it because your health is such a problem? And, if it’s the stroke you had that’s causing issues, come talk to us. Let’s figure out some way that we can have a debate.”
Pennsylvania Ping!
Please ping me with articles of interest.
FReepmail me to be added to the list.
Oz seems to be rallying after a pitiful start.
The challenge is there can Fetterman rise to it.
No sympathy for him. He wants to release felons from prison.
IF he does show up-—will he be wearing sweats & shorts???
Schedule a debate and if his techs can’t get him there, have a 3rd grader take his place or substitute an empty suit.
More like after squeaking out a narrow victory over China-stooge GOP-Eeyore McCormick and putting up with undue hostility from ideological purists who couldn’t get over Kathy Barnett’s loss.
Full disclosure: I voted for Barnett. I support Oz.
Can’t beat up on a gimp-not wise. Tell him he’s ugly.
I just read that John Fetterman has brain damage. The story keeps spiraling down. He has brain damage. Son of a bitch. He’s not gonna debate because he can’t. He can’t stand up for over 10 minutes either. John Fetterman does not go the distance.
That’s the lefts strategy, don’t debate and look the fool that you are. Too many questions they do not want to answer.
I’m voting for Doug Mastriano & Dr. Oz & Lisa Scheller for Congress. It’s disgraceful that we have a group here that doesn’t care if Fetterman, the communist wins.
Come on, Mr. Trust fund baby brat in a hoodie with a tattoo.
As of this very moment John Fetterman is not capable of debating. That has to sink in he can’t debate. He can’t put together a sentence he has brain damage. I hate to do this but Picture This John Fetterman on the Senate floor representing Pennsylvania and he can’t talk. And he can’t stand up for over 10 minutes if there was a mental and physical test for senator of the United States he would fail. And Joe Biden failed miserably also. And Biden is failing as a president. Joe from Scranton and Fetterman from Braddock. Same state different towns same guy. Physically and mentally not qualified.
It must run in the party. None of the dims here in AZ will debate their Republican opponents either.
Not qualified to run the sewerage treatment plant.
I understand they’re cowards. John Fetterman is sick and he has brain damage. He can’t debate. The guys in Arizona can and they’re just afraid to do it. John Fetterman is afraid and he can’t do it. He physically cannot stand up in a debate. He will not go the distance. He’s going to be back in the hospital and it’s going to be game set match. John Fetterman diagnosed in 2017 and ignored the diagnosis. How smart is this guy? He refused to take care of himself how is he going to take care of Pennsylvania with the brain that is damaged? And bring back Rachel Levine it would put him in intensive care!
So he’s going to try the Biden strategy and hide and wait for the mail ins to push him over the top?
How would you like to have the job of being a John Fetterman‘s campaign manager? It’s hard not being his doctor because he refuses to take direction. Get ready to win MAGA!
debate an empty chair then...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.