That stroke is going to be the backdrop for pretty much the entire debate. After some early bobbles, Fetterman has handled the situation with grace and transparency as his nearly full recovery became clear. He’s conducted numerous interviews which demonstrated that the national traditional media is woefully equipped to deal with a candidate who—like millions of Americans—needs some reasonable accommodations on the job.
The Fetterman campaign, and the candidate himself, have gone a long way toward using his health status to deflecting the ableism so rampant in traditional media coverage and making his situation totally relatable to voters. So he’s set an expectation for Tuesday’s debate—that he’ll show up and do his best and this best will be good, because he’s perfectly capable of handling the situation.
Oz, however, has to undo months of shittiness on the issue, as The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent details. “Oz’s campaign spent months mocking Fetterman, blaming the stroke on his diet and ridiculing the idea that he would need to recover before debating, even as Oz simultaneously portrayed himself as magnanimous toward Fetterman himself.”
Expect Oz to try to up that magnanimity in Tuesday’s debate, where the seasoned television performer will be all about policy. One Oz campaign adviser previewed the strategy to The New York Times. “I don’t think that viewers are tuning into this debate to learn about John Fetterman’s health status.”
Oz will have to be careful to rein in the TV doctor condescension when the health issue comes up. Because the health issue will come up. Fetterman will simply need to be who he is.
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Joan McCarter
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