Dr. Oz

Dr. Mehmet Oz has conceded to John Fetterman but has yet to say anything publicly, probably because, like many Republicans — myself included — he’s just not sure what to say. How could Fetterman, a tattooed, scowling, sloppily dressed goon with a concerning and unsightly neck lump (when I Googled his name, “Fetterman neck” was the third suggested search term), whose debate performance a mere two weeks ago was nothing short of pathetic, possibly have defeated a polished, successful, well-spoken heart surgeon for US Senate? Fetterman’s victory is almost unbelievable, until you zoom out and look at the state of Pennsylvania and most of the country.

I’m a registered Republican in Florida yet the only email offer I received to be a campaign volunteer this season was from the Democrats. Is this a function of Google subverting my Gmail inbox or Republican dysfunction? I have no idea, but I was surprised to get a message on November 4 from “Official Democratic Headquarters” asking me to make phone calls on behalf of Democratic candidates. “With so much on the ballot this Tuesday — from Social Security and Medicare to reproductive freedom and even the future of our democracy — we need all hands-on deck to help Democrats win across the country,” the message read.

Live analysis as the results come in from your favorite Spectator editors, staffers, columnists and contributors (and some you don’t like, for good measure).

Like the proprietors of a gimp show at a carnival, Pennsylvania Democrats apparently get off on making the average viewer of their sideshow candidate feel deeply uncomfortable. Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, hobbled by a stroke that has done significant damage to his capacity, was wheeled onto stage at the sole Pennsylvania Senate debate against Dr. Mehmet Oz where the performance was cringe-inducing to a point that it made you want to change the channel, as if upon returning perhaps the dark joke that this man could be a senator would be over. This was a travesty.

Last week, the Democrats cut an ad accusing Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz of murdering puppies. I know it can be hard to tell these days but just to make clear: that isn't satire. They actually accused him of murdering puppies. If you're just joining us here at the borderland between reality and surreality, the website Jezebel reported that Oz had presided over a study at Columbia University where animal abuse took place. Oz has denied any knowledge of the abuse; the citation filed about the incident doesn't mention him. Yet that didn't stop the Democrats from broaching the issue with their usual delicacy: "PUPPY KILLER MEHMET OZ SHOULD BE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ANIMAL ABUSE!" screamed a PAC spokesman into a paper bag.

John Fetterman is hungry for victory. The Democratic candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania has taken umbrage with what he perceives as “nasty” comments about his health and diet from his opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz. But, according to a landmark investigation from the Washington Free Beacon, Fetterman used to hector his constituents to “eat more vegetables” during his tenure as mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Per the Beacon’s Joe Simonson: On the corner of 4th Street in Braddock… sits a city sign likely not seen anywhere else in the United States. The sign doesn’t display the speed limit or parking hours, but rather an order to passersby: "NOTICE: EAT MORE VEGETABLES.

Every election cycle has one. That absurd farce of a race that hardly seems like it can be real. This year the honors go to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its clown car of a Senate campaign. There are 13 million people in the Keystone State and somehow it has come down to Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and Democrat John Fetterman to serve in the upper house of the Congress. Where is DJ Jazzy Jeff when you need him? By dint of a coin toss backstage, I’ll start with Dr. Oz. But where to begin? Oz is the Trump backed candidate, but he’s running like Mitt Romney, with all of the electric Utah energy that entails. There is a kind of Mid-Atlantic Republican who sort of apologizes for it — Oz oozes that.

Still on the fence about who to vote for in the Republican primary race for Pennsylvania’s US Senate seat, I watched the Newsmax “debate” earlier this month. I was naively hoping to determine which of the five candidates most aligned with my values. Instead what I learned was that they all hate each other. The debate (again, I use that word loosely) was hosted by Grove City College, a small, Christian liberal arts school in western Pennsylvania that does not accept federal funding (there are a handful of such holdouts across the country). College president Paul McNulty offered an optimistic opening message, expressing hope that the event would be an opportunity for the “thoughtful exchange of ideas.” Ha!

I recently had the chance to peek behind Dr. Mehmet Oz’s curtain, and what I saw made me view the TV doctor-turned candidate for Pennsylvania’s US Senate seat in a new light. As I waited for Oz to appear, I decided to take the pulse of the patient crowd. The first woman d’un certain âge (I’d estimate the average age in the room was 62 and majority female) said she was absolutely decided in her support for Oz. She enjoyed watching his show for years and came to the political rally more as a fan than a voter. But then she revised her unequivocal vote to say, “Well, if Trump endorses him. I’ll vote for whoever Trump picks. There’s no question.” The next person I talked to was of an identical demographic and also a big fan of The Dr. Oz Show.