When asked about the Republican Party’s chance to win back the Senate in November, a midterm that should be an easy win with Democrats in the White House with a president whose approval rating hasn’t been ideal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he wasn’t hopeful and blamed “candidate quality” for the party’s expected losses. The Pennsylvania race between former mayor and lieutenant governor John Fetterman and TV doctor-turned-talk-show-host Mehmet Oz is a prime example.
#PASen @CookPolitical moves from Toss Up to Lean D
A poll this week showed Fetterman +18 over Oz. Do we think that's the likely margin? No. But it's clear Fetterman has the edge as Oz's approval numbers, battered in the primary, continue to sag https://t.co/c90glEZ83k
— Jessica Taylor (@JessicaTaylor) August 18, 2022
Along with Senate races in Colorado and Utah, poll numbers in Pennsylvania are swinging solidly to the left as more Trump-endorsed election deniers end up with primary nominations running against seasoned and qualified candidates from the Democratic Party. In the case of Pennsylvania, the Senate seat is currently Republican-held and the GOP candidate does indeed have Trump’s endorsement, but it doesn’t seem to helping the beleaguered party of Trump.
Oz has been criticized for living outside the state in which he is running and for being out of touch with the people he wants to represent. The well-heeled doctor with ten homes is rarely on a level with many of his actual voters, unlike his opponent.
‘Fancy French appetizer plates aside, a simple glance at Oz compared to the hoodie-and-shorts clad tattooed Fetterman, and it’s not surprising to discern who comes across as more authentic and relatable to voters.’
Twitter was not at all surprised by Cook Political Reporting’s change to the projected outcome of the Senate race in Pennsylvania. Read some of their comments below:
