Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz hired a mobile billboard to play the entirety of his debate against Democratic rival John Fetterman outside of a fundraiser attended by President Joe Biden.
Fetterman, who suffered a stroke days before the primary election, provided choppy responses during the contest’s only debate as Oz pressed the lieutenant governor on his leftist platform. The celebrity heart surgeon showed footage from the debate on what appeared to be a video billboard truck as Biden courted donors for Fetterman.
“Pennsylvanians deserve to see this debate as much as possible since John Fetterman ducked six others,” Oz campaign communications director Brittany Yanick said in a statement. “He won’t be able to escape it during his fundraiser with the inflator-in-chief.”
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) October 28, 2022
Many residents of Philadelphia may indeed have missed the debate. Nexstar Media Group, which broadcast the exchange on stations throughout the commonwealth, is disputing with Verizon regarding a new distribution agreement. Verizon blacked out several Nexstar stations in Pennsylvania earlier this month, although the debate was also available to view for free on the websites belonging to Nexstar stations.
Biden emerged victorious in the commonwealth two years ago because of college-educated voters, many of whom reside near the City of Brotherly Love.
During the fundraiser, Biden lauded Fetterman’s “enormous integrity” and galvanized support for the struggling candidate from fellow Democrats. “John has got a lot of experience serving the state as mayor and then as lieutenant governor. And he leaves nobody behind. John leaves nobody behind, whether it’s building an economy that works for everyone, keeping communities safe, protecting your rights and freedoms,” Biden said. “You know who he is, you know where he stands, and you also know John is Pennsylvania.”
Roughly three-quarters of voters in Philadelphia County are registered with the Democratic Party, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Fetterman said during the debate that he does not plan to release his medical records or updated health information. The stroke kept him away from the campaign trail for several months, while both liberal and conservative moderators have noticed his lackluster communication abilities.
Rick Santorum, a Republican who spent two terms in the House and two terms in the Senate representing the interests of the Keystone State, remarked on Saturday in an interview with The Daily Wire that Fetterman does not have the cognitive ability to serve effectively in Congress.
“A senator does more than just votes. In fact, we spent very little time casting votes. We spent a lot of time working on issues, providing leadership on a variety of fronts,” he commented. “Most senators are involved in areas where they provide leadership, whether internationally working with other countries, working with organizations, or for particular causes. You have cachet as a senator, and most senators are capable of using that cachet to have an influence, to improve your country and to fight for the interests of your state. If you don’t have the ability to communicate, that becomes nearly impossible.”