Fetterman struggles in rapid-fire debate format as he and Oz trade well-worn barbs

The eyes of the political world turned to Harrisburg Tuesday night for the high-stakes U.S. Senate debate, but it was John Fetterman’s performance that overshadowed any sniping over well-covered issues.

In what was considered a pivotal moment for the heated contest, Fetterman’s consistently stilted speech and jumbled sentences in the rapid-fire debate format are likely to fuel more questions about his health following a May 13 stroke.

Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, came out swinging against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz saying, “I’m running to serve Pennsylvania. He’s running to use Pennsylvania.”

Addressing his stroke, Fetterman said, “It’s knocked me down, but I’m going to keep coming back up.”

Oz said that he was running for the Senate “because Washington keeps getting it wrong with extreme positions,” insisting that Fetterman falls into that category.

“John Fetterman takes everything to an extreme and it hurts us all,” Oz said. U.S. Senate candidates John Fetterman, Mehmet Oz debate

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz shake hands prior to the Nexstar Pennsylvania Senate at WHTM abc27 in Harrisburg, Pa., on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. (Greg Nash/The Hill/Nexstar)Greg Nash/The Hill/Nexstar

On abortion, Oz avoided directly saying whether he would vote for South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s proposed 15-week abortion ban if Republicans win the Senate.

Instead, Oz repeatedly said that the federal government should not be involved in state decisions, at one point adding that abortion should be left to “a woman, her doctor and local political leaders.”

Fetterman was unequivocal in his support for abortion rights, insisting that Roe v. Wade should be codified into federal law.

Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour, the same as the federal minimum wage, since 2008, when it was raised by just 10 cents per hour. Fetterman said it is “a disgrace” that the hourly minimum wage is so low.

“I believe every worker has dignity and every paycheck must have dignity, too,” said Fetterman, who supports a $15 per hour federal minimum wage.

Oz said that “market forces” in a tight labor landscape have already raised wages and that fully utilizing Pennsylvania’s energy resources would grow jobs and increases wages. “That’s a plan that works,” he said.

But, given the debate format, Fetterman stumbled several times to express his thoughts quickly, pausing for words in clipped sentences. Two large screens showing closed captioned questions and answers sat behind moderators Lisa Sylvester of Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV and ABC27 News’ Dennis Owens for the candidates to see.

Asked about his fitness to serve and releasing his medical records to provide transparency, Fetterman said that speaking to thousands of voters at rallies across the state is being transparent and his doctor said he’s able to serve.

“My doctor believes that I’m fit to be serving and that’s what I believe is where I’m standing,” Fetterman said, declining to commit to providing access to more complete records.

Fetterman’s campaign tried to tamp down expectations leading up to the debate, releasing a memo that said Oz has a “built-in advantage” from years spent on TV and that a studio is Oz’s “comfort zone.”

With Fetterman using closed captioning during the debate to assist him as he continues to have auditory processing issues, his campaign said it expected “Oz’s allies and right-wing media” to share “malicious viral videos” post-debate that focus on “awkward pauses, missing some words, and mushing other words together.”

Fetterman’s campaign has said the stroke did not affect his cognitive ability and that his speaking should improve as he continues with speech therapy.

As he wrestled to articulate answers to a wide array of questions on fracking, crime, inflation and foreign policy, Fetterman looked nothing like he did in a more relaxed hourlong interview with the PennLive editorial board earlier this month that was live-streamed. He also used closed captioning in that meeting, but had more time to speak than the 15-, 30- and 60-seconds allowed in the debate.

Read more: Fetterman addresses health, other hot-button issues during hourlong PennLive interview

Last week, Fetterman’s campaign released a new medical report from his primary care doctor, who said Fetterman is “recovering well” and has “no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office.”

After the debate, Joe Calvello, Fetterman’s campaign spokesperson, said Fetterman “performed great tonight for a man who was in a hospital bed just several months ago.”

Calvello said given the rapid back-and-forth, Fetterman “did pretty damn well.”

It was the only debate scheduled and the Oz campaign has consistently hammered Fetterman for not committing to any of the other seven debates the Republican pledged to attend.

Fetterman’s said Oz’s demand for so many debates has been a political stunt, while Oz has accused the Democrat of hiding from voters.

The Oz campaign has also bristled at the debate coming so late in the race, just two weeks before Election Day and more than a month after mail-in balloting began in Pennsylvania.

Fetterman’s responded that Senate debates in Pennsylvania have typically been held in mid- to late-October.

Marking the race’s importance to deciding the Senate’s future, reporters from across the globe came to the debate included correspondents for United Kingdom and Korean media.

As darkness fell, more people arrived outside the ABC27 studios on Hoffman Street, with chants frequently breaking out for the TV cameras.

Some protesters demanded that Oz recognize and denounce the Armenian genocide waved signs and a box truck with digital screens on each side slowly drove back on forth showing Fetterman ads.

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I watched this ass kicking last night and fetterwoman was stomped and crushed, by the mods and his won words.

I'm not talking about his stroke effects, just his political positions.

The mods were fairer than I thought they'd be and while they tried to help festerman, he was beyond any help.

The call in poll that was run during the hour after the debate had Oz winning 82% to 18%, and it wasn't that close.

I just want to meet one of those in the 18%, WTF?

Fetterman looked nothing like he did in a more relaxed hourlong interview with the PennLive editorial board earlier this month that was live-streamed. He also used closed captioning in that meeting, but had more time to speak than the 15-, 30- and 60-seconds allowed in the debate.

PennLive trying to cover for Fetterman. I don't think they can put him back together again after fell off that wall.

They edited his comments, because he was an incoherent mess last night. Press really dragging to swift edit this all.

Terrible show

All of the National Media covered for Fetterman. At some point WE MUST, as a nation, hold the media accountable for their corruption, dishonesty and malpractice. There must be consequences.

“Rapid fire”?

It was no more rapid fire than any other debate. Although I thought they should have allowed at least 1 and a half or two minutes for responses to initial questions rather than one. All the questions were reasonable and should have been expected by Fetterman’s team and they should have had him better prepared. The problem was that he did not have the cognitive ability to respond to even expected questions. No amount of preparedness could overcome that disability.

Barring any fraud, Oz should win this election.

The remarks of the mods and Dr. Oz appeared in the closed captioning - and Fetterman had plenty of time to read them - but his incoherent responses were not transcribed but only verbal (and of course recorded).

They obviously did this to protect him, not only to give him more time, but because the transcribers clearly were not going to be able to understand him and follow his jumbled words. Seeing them on the screen would have made it even worse.

Boy did that Party Organ whitewash his performance. The guy could not understand or say three words together. He is worse off than Biden mentally.

But, given the debate format, Fetterman stumbled several times

No. it’s not the debate format. Fetterman has never been anything other than a lazy hack with no solutions. He never had a real job in his life. He lived off his mommy and daddy until age 49. He didn’t show at city council meetings in Braddock. He doesn’t show up on the job as Lt. Gov. He did not prepare for the debate last night. If he isn’t up for the job then he should drop out of the race. No feelings about it.

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