Post Politics Now: It’s debate night in Pennsylvania, as Fetterman and Oz square off
Today, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are set to square off in the only debate scheduled in a Pennsylvania Senate race that could determine control of the chamber in Washington next year. The showdown between Fetterman, who continues to recover from a stroke, and Oz, a celebrity doctor, is among a handful of debates in high-profile races taking place Tuesday night: Senate candidates will tangle in Colorado, as will gubernatorial hopefuls in Michigan and New York.
In Washington, President Biden urged Americans to get a coronavirus booster shot this fall, warning that more infections, hospitalizations and deaths could occur as the weather gets colder and people start spending more time indoors. Biden also called on Congress to provide more funding to fight the virus, and he received his latest booster shot on camera.
Insight: Verbal missteps could be met with a higher degree of scrutiny
Fetterman is likely to be held to a higher degree of scrutiny over any verbal missteps in tonight’s debate, according to disability advocates.
His auditory processing issues and stroke recovery is something that Fetterman attempted to address as “the elephant in the room” in his opening speech by saying, “I might miss a few words during this debate.”
Ordinarily, if a candidate gets tongue-tied or messes up words, it’s viewed as a result of nerves or an “off night.” In Fetterman’s case, any difficult moments may add to questions voters may have over his stroke recovery. Sarah Blahovec, a disability civic engagement expert who has worked as the voting and civic engagement director at the National Council for Independent Living, said verbal missteps should not be seen as a reflection on Fetterman’s ability to serve. “Even the people who are criticizing him now have had days where they’re exhausted enough to mess up a word,” she said.
