The Fetterman Charade Ends

On the menu today: The entire Jenga-block tower of the John Fetterman campaign came crashing down last night, as it became painfully, abundantly clear that the Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania is still suffering severe effects of his stroke, and the past few months of the candidate’s making ten-to-twelve-minute appearances on the stump have been an elaborate effort to hide those lingering effects. The issue isn’t the stroke; the issue is the dishonesty — and for Pennsylvania Democrats, this is an entirely self-inflicted wound. If the state party had wanted to substitute one of Fetterman’s primary rivals, Representative Conor Lamb or state representative Malcolm Kenyatta, it could have done so.

Fetterman’s Fateful Debate

Pennsylvanians will not have a problem with John Fetterman because he had a stroke. They will have a problem with John Fetterman because he, his wife, his campaign, and his party were not honest with the state’s voters about his true condition and recovery until it could no longer be hidden last night. As I wrote yesterday, “Delivering a version of your stump speech before an adoring crowd is different, and easier, than answering questions with time limits.”

When Pennsylvania Democrats insist that a candidate who suffered a life-threatening stroke in May is recovering well and “has no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office,” that candidate must look and sound fine to prove they’re telling the truth. Last night, in the lone debate in the Pennsylvania Senate race, John Fetterman looked and sounded very, very far from fine. But you can judge for yourself by watching the whole debate here.