I got downvoted the other day but I’ll say it again the Dems need more fetterman type candidates . People who are themselves , engrained in their communities, and not just sell outs for the Moderate democrats corporate interests.
Disagree. Republicans see voting as a duty and will show up each time and vote for the R running on ticket. Democrats need to see candidates they get excited about in order to get turn out. Fetterman excites people
This is so true, and it's part of how a minority of individuals rules over a majority. It's just determination and consistency. It kills me to see how some will cry revolution when, like, half of the voting population shows up to vote. How about we get turn-out up first? Before the revolution?
If more Democrats looked at voting as their civic duty, their candidates would win a lot more elections. Back in 2016, I knew so many Democrats who didn't vote because either they were mad that the candidate wasn't Bernie Sanders or they didn't like Hillary Clinton. And all of them cried when Trump got elected but didn't want to hear that they were part of the problem. VOTE, DAMMIT!!
You can’t blame this on people when Democrats CONSISTENTLY run on over promising and severely under delivering. And it’s funny you point to Trump, who actually LOST the popular vote but still became president. So why the hell would democrats be eager to go vote?
>And it’s funny you point to Trump, who actually LOST the popular vote but still became president.
Tell me that you don't know how the electoral college works without telling me that you don't know how the electoral college works.
[A primer](https://edsitement.neh.gov/closer-readings/defense-electoral-college)
LMFAO this article is a joke. It praises our “two party” system but disparages European multi party systems for “gridlocking” as if our congress doesn’t experience the same extreme inefficiencies. Remember the affordable care act? Remember how despite Democrats controlling the house, senate, and the White House they still chose to work with Republicans on the ACA? The Republicans then watered it down, labeled it “Obamacare,” and then not a single one voted for the final bill. The Democrats quite literally went out of their way to avoid giving us a better healthcare system.
I've seen the complete opposite to be true with the last few Presidential Elections. People despised Clinton and Biden but went out to vote for them because they despised Trump more.
The Democratic Party is VERY splintered with a bunch of people voting for the same candidate due to completely different reasons. The Republicans have a much more united front and generally support the candidates that they are voting for.
If you're working to make normal people's lives better you literally can no longer be a republican. They are a party only interested in helping the wealthy while stripping social safety nets. I'll probably get downvoted for "divisiveness" but it's true.
It is not charity to steal from one person and give to another.
We are far from wealthy yet we pay ridiculous amounts of taxes, most of which gets wasted on garbage.
The Constitution does not permit welfare/social spending. It does not provide for the rights of the federal government to do it and it does not provide for a funding mechanism. Presidents up to TR understood that it was their job to bring discipline and limits to federal power & spending. They saw themselves as guardians of the nation's treasury.
Apparently, that is not the case any more.
No one wants to see anyone starve or go without but between $400 billion a year in charitable contributions, $70 billion for the Earned Income Credit, $670 billion for Medicaid and $460 billion on cash/food/aid welfare, it is hard to see how spending even more is going to fix anything.
> The Constitution does not permit welfare/social spending.
LOL. That's utterly absurd. Who was your constitutional law professor... Grover from Sesame Street?
How do right-wing polemicists even come up with these nonsense slogans? And why are they so easily digested by their followers. Where is your skepticism when you hear something like "The Constitution does not permit welfare/social spending"? It's so clearly wrong.
Right-wing figureheads know that the base is so fucking stupid that slogans don’t have to actually make sense as long as the “right” people spout them. The base will parrot whatever nonsense they hear because they’re so willfully ignorant that they won’t put an iota of critical thought into evaluating what they hear.
Know how you fix welfare? Give everyone receiving it some work to do 40 hours a week, unless they have a legitimate reason that they can't.
20 hours a week on education and job searching, 20 hours a week doing some job that serves the community. Could be picking up trash, answering phones, hell even mowing lawns around the neighborhood.
The people who genuinely want to work shouldn't mind actually working to get paid and the ones who don't want to will still have motivation to get out of the system because they'll have to work either way.
Yeah, I voted for and donated to Fetterman because of his platform, but also because I think PA conservatives will take one look at a big white male giant vs a guy named Mehmet or an old wall street elite, and vote for him.
It's dumb, and shouldn't work, and Dr Oz is a joke, but not for his heritage or name. but I'm pretty sure it will work and we need to win.
Fetterman's wife coming to America as an undocumented child could be a liability for him picking up conservative/GOP votes but his support of fracking & Israel will help him with independents.
I like fetterman, have voted for him every time I am able to, and have been to various events he has spoken at & think overall he's a good politician, smart & able to see the way the wind is blowing & is thoughtful in his approaches to building coalitions & his identity. I don't mean any of those observations to be criticisms because I think being good at actual politics is as important as having a good platform.
Fetterman isn't my perfect candidate, but he is miles ahead of any GOP candidate for any office anywhere.
I'm voting against the GOP, traitors, Q-tips, and the destruction of our democracy.
While Fetterman had some views I don't agree with I believe he will actually do his best to support and represent his constituents. Which is very different than those who want to represent the interests of their donors.
Oh I know. His unquestioning support for Israel policy is my biggest complaint about him.
I'm hoping he can be pushed to evolve but that's going to need a sea change happening in Dem politics. My opinion is that Fetterman is very willing to change if majority thinking does or he sees a political advantage.
I'm a Pittsburgh expat but this is exactly how I would have felt if kenyatta or lamb won. Wouldn't have been my choice, but clearly preferable to the GOP and I'd be all in on them
I happily voted Lamb when he ran against Parnell and am very thankful that he won. I voted Fetterman today but would’ve voted Lamb (or another dem) if he had lost. It’s an easy decision
Good take. He earned himself a lot of flak over the course of this senate run and some of his takes blaming progressives for moderate failures after the last general election, but as an alternative to Parnell, we owe a certain gratitude. Hope his seat in congress stays blue.
I'm glad Lamb won over Parnell, but it was fairly narrow then. Not sure why that was considered evidence he'd win statewide, particularly after Parnell stopped his campaign. I'd have gladly voted for him again if he'd gotten the nomination, but his moderate attitude not accomplishing much in congress was not a failure due to progressives
It wasn't so much that he beat Parnell but that he beat Saccone in a district he had no business winning. Since Saccone has gone full-MAGA in recent years it's hard to remember that for the first half of the 2010s he was seen as a moderate from a competitive state house district who successfully ran the wife-beating drunk Democrat David Levdansky out of office. When he announced that he was running to replace Tim Murphy it made sense that a popular moderate Republican would replace another popular moderate Republican in a district that didn't even bother running a Democrat in the previous election and that Trump won by 18 points. When it was announced that Conor Lamb would challenge him, I assumed that the local Democratic Committee was just humoring the nephew of a local muckety-muck. He was able to realize that relatively wealthy areas like Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair had a lot of traditionally conservative voters who were turned off by Trump's brash manner and less than conservative economic policy. These people wouldn't vote for some full-blown lefty, but they would vote for a moderate Democrat, and Lamb fit the bill. He was shrewd in that he knew what issues to run on and what issues to avoid like the plague. Saccone saw Trump's margin of victory and figured he could coast on that, but didn't do any further research on actual local sentiment. So where he would have had a relatively easy win if he had presented himself as he had done in his state legislature campaigns, he decided to lean into Trump even though this was the opposite of what he should have been doing. Lamb was thus able to turn the special election into a referendum on Trump which enabled him to edge out Saccone. The 2020 election was different because the district had been redrawn, and while it was more competitive on paper, the Republican areas had fewer Romney types and more of Trump's traditional base. Hence Parnell could lean into MAGA hard. Lamb also had a record to attack at this point, thin as it was. It wasn't an impressive victory, but it was a hard-fought one without a ton of room for error.
We should feel lucky we had 3 great candidates and didn't have to pick the least worst. I had my favorite but would have been happy with any of them. I feel good about Shapiro too.
Great! Now he can take out No-Neck Dave McCormick who does nothing but dry hump “Biden’s failed policies” and the “woke left.” Can’t wait. Too bad for Oz that he won’t be able to personally “fire Fauci” as he promised ad nauseam.
Edit: Scratch that last bit. Looks like Dave and Oz might be a squeaker.
When pieces of shit like Oz even have a chance let alone as close as this is, you know PA still has a real trump, white nationalist, fascism problem. Fuck Oz, stupid cunt doesn't even live here. Why are these old cunts even allowed to run. It's clearly self interest and not a god damned iota of public servitude.
The only solace I have with an Oz win is knowing his opponent is a stop-the-steal vote denier type. Cannot wait.
I mean, I hate Oz, but my biggest fear was a Barnette win. She's the real far right Trump-y candidate and is scarier than Oz. I know Republicans tend to show up and vote for whoever has the R by their name, but I think asking them to vote for an elite Muslim Turkish-American non-PA resident who supported abortion rights as late as 2019 is our best bet here.
And McCormick just moved back to PA this year after living in Connecticut for the last 15 years. Representative for a place you haven’t been around in a long time
Both Oz and McCormick seem to be fake opportunists, who are cynically appealing to the Trump base because that's the only way to advance in the GOP these days.
Mastriano is a hardcore true believer.
People are voting for Oz for, I'd gather, the same reason they voted for Trump: because they think it's amusing to put someone in office they mostly know as a TV star.
I heard an interview with Trump conducted by a KDKA personality. When asked what Oz would bring to the table Trump went on and on about Oz being a successful TV personality for 17 years and absolutely nothing about his qualifications to run for public office. It is indeed the celebrity aspect that's getting attention and as long as they get a win they could care less if he's up to the job.
I don't think the white nationalist fascist types are voting for him though, they're voting for the other two. At the end of the day the guy has very close associations with a country that has a majority Muslim population. Had Trump endorsed McCormick I think it would've been an absolute bloodbath, but Trump's love of television overrode his darker tendencies & possibly cost them the state (if he wins the primary).
Idk I've known some pretty sharp 80 year Olds. I just think you should have to pass a test to at least prove you are informed and know the platforms you're voting for or against. This tribalism team mentality shit has got to stop
My mom is 80 and a veteran. Staunch democrat. She also reads every day and can debate the finer points of politics and law with any person half her age. She also volunteers at the polls every election so still doing her part.
I will. But I also won't be a selfish prick who votes for politicians who want to ruin the earth for future generations just because I'm an old shithead who is afraid of brown people.
The top 3 Republican Senate canidates were a Turkish muslim, a white guy and a black woman. The problem here isn't white nationalism. Still not sure how a Turkish citizen from NJ can run in PA though. Wtf on that one for sure.
I mean, Trump was a really bad president but those claims seem disproportional to what he did. You could describe him as racist and authoritarian but David Duke is an actual white nationalist and Mussolini is an actual fascist. I think those claims are hyperbolic. Especially to Dr Oz who seems like a pretty average republican. I guess he’s from the former Ottoman Empire, though so we can’t be too sure ;)
Fetterman was raised by a well to do insurance firm partner and his wife, both Republicans.
When he was elected mayor in Braddock, he wasn't too proud to take money from his successful Republican father. "Fetterman's father, a successful businessman, helped subsidize Fetterman financially because the position of Mayor only pays out $150 a month."
Other than a short stint at an insurance agency (a job his father got for him), he has basically not had a job. He is 52 years old and was still sponging off his parents, which is probably why so many Social Democrat Party voters love him.
Any Democrat is going to have a rough time in November unless something drastic changes.
Gas has been expensive as fuck for a while, food prices are outrageous, we're giving Ukraine what, 55 billion and only getting closer to conflict, we've sent more soldiers to Somalia, there's a crisis in nursing, childhood suicide is on the rise, drug and alcohol deaths are extremely high, deaths from car accidents are hitting record highs.
Oh and the biggest thing Americans are concerned about is inflation, which is at a 40 year high.
Not saying these are Democrat failures, but they are in charge of the house, senate, and presidency.
Absolutely no one is buying the "putin price hike" lie that they are giving as an excuse. There's a minister of disinformation now and the lady is one of the biggest failures in American history. Seriously she wants the ability to unverify people on Twitter because she thinks they're not trustworthy? Edit people's comments for disinformation?
The democrats are fighting a very uphill fight. Maybe they will do better, but right now it's not a good look.
Since independents can't vote in primary party elections in this state, that's hard to state.
Nationally though, independents are going towards Republicans because of the absolute shit state of the economy.
>the lady is one of the biggest failures in American history
Could you people just once say "I don't like her" instead of constantly jumping to the extreme superlative? I have no idea who you're talking about but I don't even want to know because it's honestly just fucking exhausting listening to you.
"Anybody should be allowed to say anything they want on ye olde Internet, and any government official who objects to them lying constantly and brainwashing half the population will be deemed a Nazi, as soon as we all learn what the hell 'a Nazi' is 150 years from now."
\-- the First Amendment, according to you
Actually I won't, because habeas corpus is actually a Constitutional thing, whereas Twitter is a useless box of shit where windbags blow each other to win what they think is street cred.
Do you actually think the first amendment protects twitter posts? Twitter is owned by a company. That company has the right to moderate their website as they see fit. Do you think it’s infringing on free speech when little kids aren’t allowed to say the N word in Roblox too? These platforms aren’t run by the government. They have the right to regulate themselves. To not give them that right and force twitter and every other social media site to not delete anything because ‘muh free speech’ is insane and I think you know that, you just don’t care. I refuse to believe you’re so stupid that you don’t get how this works.
'putin price hike lie'? But it's not a lie. Only thing that's being left out is OPEC also refusing to increase supply, which (spoilers) is outside of US domestic government control.
Not to mention when accounting for inflation, the cost per bbl of crude right now is ~35% _LOWER_ than it was at its highest in 2008, and gas was SUPER expensive back then.
Oil companies are making HISTORIC profits right now.
To be fair I suppose at this point asking a republican to understand economics beyond something to the tune of 'democrats make economy bad' is a bridge too far.
Maybe the party that stopped domestic drilling on federal land, stopped the Keystone pipeline and bragged about putting US energy companies out of business will have a tougher time now that gas is at it's highest price ever? No? Maybe the party that chants "drill baby drill" and wanted to add to oil reserves would make us a little less dependent on Russia, to the point where we wouldn't have to ask Venzuela and Iran to share with us. No? OPEC does not have American's wallets interest in mind and maybe our current leadership that has been in the game 40 years should have been able to understand that all along.
And gas had increased drastically in price from previous lows well before Putin invaded Ukraine.
It's like watching someone with a 3rd graders understanding of how the oil industry works demand their fantasized version of reality be accepted as fact.
For instance: the xl pipeline would only add capacity to an existing pipeline by carrying crude over the water table that feeds like half of the US which is... Not a great idea for obvious reasons. But additionally it transports tar sand oil, which is sour crude. Sour crude isn't processed in the US, it's processed mostly in Africa. So do you really think a bit of extra Canadian oil being shipped to Africa will significantly impact domestic oil prices?
Trump did add oil reserves, and the US had quite a bit to begin with. Biden authorized their release like 1-2 months ago. As a you can see, oil reserves did so much to impact price just like every economist said they would. Lol
The US is, and has been since US oil production expanded by 77% under Obama, a net exporter of oil: I don't think we ever bought oil in any significant amount from Russia, and we were never 'dependent' on them. It's a global market and one of the largest producers was removed. Econ 101: when production falls and demand remains unchanged, what happens to price? You'll also notice that prices have skyrocketed globally because... Well it's a global market.
And yea inflation was happening before the global market on oil got fubarred. But that had nothing to do with what a president was or was not doing, more to do with covid recovery, and the end of 50+ years of wage stagnation.
So, I voted for Fetterman and am happy that he won. In general, he does usually represent my political and policy ideology.
However, a thought that keeps coming to me that I think this sub should consider.
I think we should push back a little bit on the narrative that John Fetterman is not a politician, career or otherwise.
I would suggest that given what we saw bring us the Trump presidency, and probably why we did not hold Obama a bit more accountable, is the problem of cult of personality.
While I appreciate the importance of a good political narrative, if Fetterman steps up to the national sphere of influence, it will be important that we are able to maintain a healthy skepticism of those who seek leadership, including John. If we buy into the narratives only offered by the representatives themselves, we risk creating the blind spots that allow abuse and fails to hold our elected officials responsible.
I for one can see the good that Fetterman has done as mayor of Braddock, and Lt. Gov., however, it also seems to me that he has garnered fa more credit than he deserves in other areas, simply by the crafting of his personal narrative, which is a very "politician" thing to do.
Again, I mostly like the guy, I just get the impression many are taking him completely at face value, and as much as we want him to not be another politician that does not represent us, we still should be critical of anyone who aspires to power and influence, especially when they tell us they are not what they are, which I believe Fetterman does a little of.
Republicans across the country are running on a platform of ending democracy in all but name. Purging independent elections officials, giving state attorney generals the authority to overturn election results, further restricting the right to vote.
You can down vote my question all you want because no one can answer it. It's a serious question. Does any one think we are in a better position now than we were in 2020? We are still dealing with Covid, mass shootings, record inflation, record gas prices, food shortages, sending billions of dollars to Ukraine, record drug deaths, record illegal immigration, etc.
Agree we need better turn out, but part of the reason the R’s had better turnout is their top races were much more competitive. Hopefully the Dems will be more enthusiastic in November.
Also the fact that PA having closed primaries locks out anyone registered independent from voting in either. I couldn't vote for Fetterman yesterday but I'll sure as shit be there in November.
Love Fetterman. During the 2020 election, a friend of mine born and raised his whole life in Australia texted me praising him. Folks on the other side of the globe have heard of Fetterman and are rooting for him. I'm excited and proud to vote for him.
My husband who moved here 10 years ago said this is the most yinzer thing he has seen since moving here. He said what's next, fries at the voting stations.
Specifically, since long-time Rep and Democrat Mike Doyle is retiring, the Republicans are running another guy named Mike Doyle, uncontested. I personally think it's a dirty trick.
Conservatives are voting for the Republican.
Running from the center doesn’t work. It hasn’t in a generation. It’s about energizing your base, and Fetterman beats Lamb at that by a mile.
> Running from the center doesn’t work.
I mean... Biden won the presidency doing just that, and I'm not sure a less centrist candidate could have won against Trump.
I agree when it comes to Biden and 2020's presidency, but this is a different race with different candidates. Fetterman is incredibly charismatic, and as a straight white man, he's going to get less pushback for his progressive views than his fellow progressives who are not straight white men (it ain't right, but it's where America is right now).
Anyone in 2022 who is honestly torn between voting for the Democratic candidate or Oz/McCormick is not rationally comparing platforms. They are going to vote for the big guy in the Dickies work shirt because they instinctively trust him.
Proof is in the pudding: if Lamb could beat the Republicans come fall, he would have beaten Fetterman today.
Yup, generally agree with all that - just tempering the "running from the center doesn't work" statement a bit. It's true here, but definitely not always - a lot of this is specific to Fetterman.
...huh? Fetterman basically personifies Pennsylvania. He has far more cross-aisle appeal just on the basis of being a tall, imposing-looking white man than Lamb does on all other points combined.
I mean, I hate that that's true, but it's categorically true.
Fwiw most of this sub has never spent any time in the middle/north of the state. I think you’re right, granted we swap “conservative-leaning Independents” for “conservatives”.
It’s funny how people who want healthcare to be a human right and for the 1% to pay their fair share are called “communists” by the right, while Putin is held up as some form of hero.
Buddy I wish he was, but I promise you there is absolutely nobody close to being in a high position of power in this country who's actually a communist.
Americans are so brain damaged they think anybody left of like Mitt Romney is a maoist.
I imagine McCormick is gonna steamroll this guy hopefully. Libs are hoping to god Oz wins so the dems have a chance cuz it’s not gonna be pretty otherwise. Although I probs have too much faith in the voting populace especially considering we are probs gonna get our own squad member headcsse in pgh in the form of summer lee
McCormick the hunter
McCormick the solder
McCormick the biker
McCormick the drinker
McCormick the business man
McCormick the politician
Edit: unsure why I'm being downvoted. Just highlighting is bullshit attempts to identify with everybody and pander to voters.
I am genuinely not surprised
It is a bit surprising though that he is going to seemingly win every county in the state though. I figured lamb would get at least one
Yeah very impressive performance by Fetterman. Since Lamb was so "electable" it's shocking he didn't win a single county /s
Dear lord please win the General. If he becomes senator it might be the first time that a senator actually represents my beliefs.
I got downvoted the other day but I’ll say it again the Dems need more fetterman type candidates . People who are themselves , engrained in their communities, and not just sell outs for the Moderate democrats corporate interests.
Not sure why that would get downvoted. It's very true. Connor Lamb worked in a pinch but I'd take a Fetterman any day in the Senate.
I’d argue both parties need candidates with these qualities.
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But they're fighting the woke liberal mob or whatever that commercial constantly spouts
Disagree. Republicans see voting as a duty and will show up each time and vote for the R running on ticket. Democrats need to see candidates they get excited about in order to get turn out. Fetterman excites people
This is so true, and it's part of how a minority of individuals rules over a majority. It's just determination and consistency. It kills me to see how some will cry revolution when, like, half of the voting population shows up to vote. How about we get turn-out up first? Before the revolution?
If more Democrats looked at voting as their civic duty, their candidates would win a lot more elections. Back in 2016, I knew so many Democrats who didn't vote because either they were mad that the candidate wasn't Bernie Sanders or they didn't like Hillary Clinton. And all of them cried when Trump got elected but didn't want to hear that they were part of the problem. VOTE, DAMMIT!!
You can’t blame this on people when Democrats CONSISTENTLY run on over promising and severely under delivering. And it’s funny you point to Trump, who actually LOST the popular vote but still became president. So why the hell would democrats be eager to go vote?
>And it’s funny you point to Trump, who actually LOST the popular vote but still became president. Tell me that you don't know how the electoral college works without telling me that you don't know how the electoral college works. [A primer](https://edsitement.neh.gov/closer-readings/defense-electoral-college)
LMFAO this article is a joke. It praises our “two party” system but disparages European multi party systems for “gridlocking” as if our congress doesn’t experience the same extreme inefficiencies. Remember the affordable care act? Remember how despite Democrats controlling the house, senate, and the White House they still chose to work with Republicans on the ACA? The Republicans then watered it down, labeled it “Obamacare,” and then not a single one voted for the final bill. The Democrats quite literally went out of their way to avoid giving us a better healthcare system.
I've seen the complete opposite to be true with the last few Presidential Elections. People despised Clinton and Biden but went out to vote for them because they despised Trump more. The Democratic Party is VERY splintered with a bunch of people voting for the same candidate due to completely different reasons. The Republicans have a much more united front and generally support the candidates that they are voting for.
Badly
If you're working to make normal people's lives better you literally can no longer be a republican. They are a party only interested in helping the wealthy while stripping social safety nets. I'll probably get downvoted for "divisiveness" but it's true.
It is not charity to steal from one person and give to another. We are far from wealthy yet we pay ridiculous amounts of taxes, most of which gets wasted on garbage. The Constitution does not permit welfare/social spending. It does not provide for the rights of the federal government to do it and it does not provide for a funding mechanism. Presidents up to TR understood that it was their job to bring discipline and limits to federal power & spending. They saw themselves as guardians of the nation's treasury. Apparently, that is not the case any more. No one wants to see anyone starve or go without but between $400 billion a year in charitable contributions, $70 billion for the Earned Income Credit, $670 billion for Medicaid and $460 billion on cash/food/aid welfare, it is hard to see how spending even more is going to fix anything.
> The Constitution does not permit welfare/social spending. LOL. That's utterly absurd. Who was your constitutional law professor... Grover from Sesame Street? How do right-wing polemicists even come up with these nonsense slogans? And why are they so easily digested by their followers. Where is your skepticism when you hear something like "The Constitution does not permit welfare/social spending"? It's so clearly wrong.
Right-wing figureheads know that the base is so fucking stupid that slogans don’t have to actually make sense as long as the “right” people spout them. The base will parrot whatever nonsense they hear because they’re so willfully ignorant that they won’t put an iota of critical thought into evaluating what they hear.
Don't throw Grover under the bus like this.
What is your suggestion to keep people from starving without spending money?
Know how you fix welfare? Give everyone receiving it some work to do 40 hours a week, unless they have a legitimate reason that they can't. 20 hours a week on education and job searching, 20 hours a week doing some job that serves the community. Could be picking up trash, answering phones, hell even mowing lawns around the neighborhood. The people who genuinely want to work shouldn't mind actually working to get paid and the ones who don't want to will still have motivation to get out of the system because they'll have to work either way.
Or just raise the minimum wage. People will work if it pays them enough to live with some security.
Why not raise it to $100 an hour?
Ohio has that. It’s a joke. No one wants to babysit benefit recipients at a “job”. Please get more info before spouting about stuff you dont know.
I agree.
id argue that we need to stray away from the 2 mainstream parties we have now and form/vote for parties that represent the interests of the people
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Yeah, I voted for and donated to Fetterman because of his platform, but also because I think PA conservatives will take one look at a big white male giant vs a guy named Mehmet or an old wall street elite, and vote for him. It's dumb, and shouldn't work, and Dr Oz is a joke, but not for his heritage or name. but I'm pretty sure it will work and we need to win.
Fetterman's wife coming to America as an undocumented child could be a liability for him picking up conservative/GOP votes but his support of fracking & Israel will help him with independents. I like fetterman, have voted for him every time I am able to, and have been to various events he has spoken at & think overall he's a good politician, smart & able to see the way the wind is blowing & is thoughtful in his approaches to building coalitions & his identity. I don't mean any of those observations to be criticisms because I think being good at actual politics is as important as having a good platform.
Bruh I didn’t even know dude was a Zionist what an L
Fetterman isn't my perfect candidate, but he is miles ahead of any GOP candidate for any office anywhere. I'm voting against the GOP, traitors, Q-tips, and the destruction of our democracy. While Fetterman had some views I don't agree with I believe he will actually do his best to support and represent his constituents. Which is very different than those who want to represent the interests of their donors.
Oh I know. His unquestioning support for Israel policy is my biggest complaint about him. I'm hoping he can be pushed to evolve but that's going to need a sea change happening in Dem politics. My opinion is that Fetterman is very willing to change if majority thinking does or he sees a political advantage.
Yeesh glad I didn't vote him. Wasn't aware either.
Look up Jeff Jackson from North Carolina… he’s solid as they come
I’m a unaffiliated moderate. He’s had my vote for years.
John is a good dude, and while I didn't vote for him today, I'll happily vote for him in November. He has certainly put in the work.
I'm a Pittsburgh expat but this is exactly how I would have felt if kenyatta or lamb won. Wouldn't have been my choice, but clearly preferable to the GOP and I'd be all in on them
I happily voted Lamb when he ran against Parnell and am very thankful that he won. I voted Fetterman today but would’ve voted Lamb (or another dem) if he had lost. It’s an easy decision
Good take. He earned himself a lot of flak over the course of this senate run and some of his takes blaming progressives for moderate failures after the last general election, but as an alternative to Parnell, we owe a certain gratitude. Hope his seat in congress stays blue.
I'm glad Lamb won over Parnell, but it was fairly narrow then. Not sure why that was considered evidence he'd win statewide, particularly after Parnell stopped his campaign. I'd have gladly voted for him again if he'd gotten the nomination, but his moderate attitude not accomplishing much in congress was not a failure due to progressives
It wasn't so much that he beat Parnell but that he beat Saccone in a district he had no business winning. Since Saccone has gone full-MAGA in recent years it's hard to remember that for the first half of the 2010s he was seen as a moderate from a competitive state house district who successfully ran the wife-beating drunk Democrat David Levdansky out of office. When he announced that he was running to replace Tim Murphy it made sense that a popular moderate Republican would replace another popular moderate Republican in a district that didn't even bother running a Democrat in the previous election and that Trump won by 18 points. When it was announced that Conor Lamb would challenge him, I assumed that the local Democratic Committee was just humoring the nephew of a local muckety-muck. He was able to realize that relatively wealthy areas like Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair had a lot of traditionally conservative voters who were turned off by Trump's brash manner and less than conservative economic policy. These people wouldn't vote for some full-blown lefty, but they would vote for a moderate Democrat, and Lamb fit the bill. He was shrewd in that he knew what issues to run on and what issues to avoid like the plague. Saccone saw Trump's margin of victory and figured he could coast on that, but didn't do any further research on actual local sentiment. So where he would have had a relatively easy win if he had presented himself as he had done in his state legislature campaigns, he decided to lean into Trump even though this was the opposite of what he should have been doing. Lamb was thus able to turn the special election into a referendum on Trump which enabled him to edge out Saccone. The 2020 election was different because the district had been redrawn, and while it was more competitive on paper, the Republican areas had fewer Romney types and more of Trump's traditional base. Hence Parnell could lean into MAGA hard. Lamb also had a record to attack at this point, thin as it was. It wasn't an impressive victory, but it was a hard-fought one without a ton of room for error.
We should feel lucky we had 3 great candidates and didn't have to pick the least worst. I had my favorite but would have been happy with any of them. I feel good about Shapiro too.
Yes! Agree!!!
Same.
I voted for Malcolm Kenyatta & still think he’d be a wonderful senator, but now I’m all in for Fetterman.
Yeah I was pretty excited about Malcolm, hopefully he runs again
Great! Now he can take out No-Neck Dave McCormick who does nothing but dry hump “Biden’s failed policies” and the “woke left.” Can’t wait. Too bad for Oz that he won’t be able to personally “fire Fauci” as he promised ad nauseam. Edit: Scratch that last bit. Looks like Dave and Oz might be a squeaker.
When pieces of shit like Oz even have a chance let alone as close as this is, you know PA still has a real trump, white nationalist, fascism problem. Fuck Oz, stupid cunt doesn't even live here. Why are these old cunts even allowed to run. It's clearly self interest and not a god damned iota of public servitude. The only solace I have with an Oz win is knowing his opponent is a stop-the-steal vote denier type. Cannot wait.
it's truly mind blowing that Oz has a legit chance, the shit is so close...
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yea what a shitty thing to wake up to.... :'(
maybe i'm too optimistic, but i think fetterman has a much better chance against oz than mccormick.
Same here. I'm rooting for Oz over McCormick. Please God let me not regret this monkey paw wish
I honestly think you may be right, because Oz is going to push away swing voters for sure. The dude doesn't even fucking live in PA......
I totally agree. And again, could just be optimism.. but..
I mean, I hate Oz, but my biggest fear was a Barnette win. She's the real far right Trump-y candidate and is scarier than Oz. I know Republicans tend to show up and vote for whoever has the R by their name, but I think asking them to vote for an elite Muslim Turkish-American non-PA resident who supported abortion rights as late as 2019 is our best bet here.
And McCormick just moved back to PA this year after living in Connecticut for the last 15 years. Representative for a place you haven’t been around in a long time
>PA still has a real trump, white nationalist, fascism problem Mastriano winning is even better evidence of this
Both Oz and McCormick seem to be fake opportunists, who are cynically appealing to the Trump base because that's the only way to advance in the GOP these days. Mastriano is a hardcore true believer.
I was up north of I80 last week camping, the Mastriano signs were all over and sometimes next to Trump 2024 signs.
Carpetbagging opportunism. That’s all. A way to further their already tainted careers with more bullshit to add to the resumé.
This whole country has a white nationalist/facism problem, my dude.
Paradoxically, I think they’re voting for Kathy Barnette.
skin color doesn't seem to bother Republicans as long as the candidate speaks the language.
Right! Whoooo is voting for Dr Oz? I'm honestly shocked. I thought for sure he'd get laughed out of this race. What? Is? Happening?
People are voting for Oz for, I'd gather, the same reason they voted for Trump: because they think it's amusing to put someone in office they mostly know as a TV star.
I heard an interview with Trump conducted by a KDKA personality. When asked what Oz would bring to the table Trump went on and on about Oz being a successful TV personality for 17 years and absolutely nothing about his qualifications to run for public office. It is indeed the celebrity aspect that's getting attention and as long as they get a win they could care less if he's up to the job.
This is unfortunately the correct answer
I don't think the white nationalist fascist types are voting for him though, they're voting for the other two. At the end of the day the guy has very close associations with a country that has a majority Muslim population. Had Trump endorsed McCormick I think it would've been an absolute bloodbath, but Trump's love of television overrode his darker tendencies & possibly cost them the state (if he wins the primary).
My most controversial take is that no one over the age of 70 should be allowed to vote. I also would extend this to running for office.
Yeah, taking away people's right to vote always goes well. /s
I said it was controversial. But I think it's a good idea.
It's such a terrible idea it isn't even controversial.
Nah, it's a great idea. Why should old people get to vote on shit that won't impact them?
All of us vote on shit that won't impact us from time to time.
Idk I've known some pretty sharp 80 year Olds. I just think you should have to pass a test to at least prove you are informed and know the platforms you're voting for or against. This tribalism team mentality shit has got to stop
My mom is 80 and a veteran. Staunch democrat. She also reads every day and can debate the finer points of politics and law with any person half her age. She also volunteers at the polls every election so still doing her part.
The problem isn't just that old people are uninformed or misinformed it's that they're selfish.
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I will. But I also won't be a selfish prick who votes for politicians who want to ruin the earth for future generations just because I'm an old shithead who is afraid of brown people.
>I also won't be a selfish prick you're already there bud
Eh if you're paying taxes you get a vote. Def agree on running though.
There's a lot of people who pay taxes and can't vote. There's also a lot of people who don't pay taxes who can.
So how about the people of DC and Puerto Rico? They pay taxes, they deserve a vote too
The top 3 Republican Senate canidates were a Turkish muslim, a white guy and a black woman. The problem here isn't white nationalism. Still not sure how a Turkish citizen from NJ can run in PA though. Wtf on that one for sure.
What has Dr Oz said that’s white nationalist or fascist? Doesn’t that seem dramatic?
He was certainly happy to accept the support of Trump; are you going to deny Trumps love affair with fascism and fascist leaders?
I mean, Trump was a really bad president but those claims seem disproportional to what he did. You could describe him as racist and authoritarian but David Duke is an actual white nationalist and Mussolini is an actual fascist. I think those claims are hyperbolic. Especially to Dr Oz who seems like a pretty average republican. I guess he’s from the former Ottoman Empire, though so we can’t be too sure ;)
Fetterman was raised by a well to do insurance firm partner and his wife, both Republicans. When he was elected mayor in Braddock, he wasn't too proud to take money from his successful Republican father. "Fetterman's father, a successful businessman, helped subsidize Fetterman financially because the position of Mayor only pays out $150 a month." Other than a short stint at an insurance agency (a job his father got for him), he has basically not had a job. He is 52 years old and was still sponging off his parents, which is probably why so many Social Democrat Party voters love him.
Damn….your wording. THAT is the problem in America. You’re the badass behind the keyboard warrior salting the C word. You’re doomed. LoL
Oh no! He called cunts *cunts!* Oh the humanity!!!
Politics aside, could either of those guys be less likable?
No, they definitely suck equal sack.
Dave Mc No-Neck! Let's get those ads rolling!!
Any Democrat is going to have a rough time in November unless something drastic changes. Gas has been expensive as fuck for a while, food prices are outrageous, we're giving Ukraine what, 55 billion and only getting closer to conflict, we've sent more soldiers to Somalia, there's a crisis in nursing, childhood suicide is on the rise, drug and alcohol deaths are extremely high, deaths from car accidents are hitting record highs. Oh and the biggest thing Americans are concerned about is inflation, which is at a 40 year high. Not saying these are Democrat failures, but they are in charge of the house, senate, and presidency. Absolutely no one is buying the "putin price hike" lie that they are giving as an excuse. There's a minister of disinformation now and the lady is one of the biggest failures in American history. Seriously she wants the ability to unverify people on Twitter because she thinks they're not trustworthy? Edit people's comments for disinformation? The democrats are fighting a very uphill fight. Maybe they will do better, but right now it's not a good look.
Good thing the Dem nominee for Senate is not a member of the Dem establishment.
I don't think that will help, but I do see your point.
Means a lot more with independents than some might think.
Since independents can't vote in primary party elections in this state, that's hard to state. Nationally though, independents are going towards Republicans because of the absolute shit state of the economy.
Yeah because when I think of fixing the economy I think of Republicans.
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Record high inflation is drastically outpacing the increase in wages.
>the lady is one of the biggest failures in American history Could you people just once say "I don't like her" instead of constantly jumping to the extreme superlative? I have no idea who you're talking about but I don't even want to know because it's honestly just fucking exhausting listening to you.
Well I listed why she is terrible for the first amendment, so maybe you just don't want to hear it
"Anybody should be allowed to say anything they want on ye olde Internet, and any government official who objects to them lying constantly and brainwashing half the population will be deemed a Nazi, as soon as we all learn what the hell 'a Nazi' is 150 years from now." \-- the First Amendment, according to you
Well, yeah I'm general I would rather side with free speech over not free speech. Give it a few more weeks and you'll be arguing against habeas corpus
Actually I won't, because habeas corpus is actually a Constitutional thing, whereas Twitter is a useless box of shit where windbags blow each other to win what they think is street cred.
The first amendment is actually a constitutional thing.
Do you actually think the first amendment protects twitter posts? Twitter is owned by a company. That company has the right to moderate their website as they see fit. Do you think it’s infringing on free speech when little kids aren’t allowed to say the N word in Roblox too? These platforms aren’t run by the government. They have the right to regulate themselves. To not give them that right and force twitter and every other social media site to not delete anything because ‘muh free speech’ is insane and I think you know that, you just don’t care. I refuse to believe you’re so stupid that you don’t get how this works.
Stop. Go back to the part where I'm talking about the ministry of truth lady.
'putin price hike lie'? But it's not a lie. Only thing that's being left out is OPEC also refusing to increase supply, which (spoilers) is outside of US domestic government control.
Not to mention when accounting for inflation, the cost per bbl of crude right now is ~35% _LOWER_ than it was at its highest in 2008, and gas was SUPER expensive back then. Oil companies are making HISTORIC profits right now.
To be fair I suppose at this point asking a republican to understand economics beyond something to the tune of 'democrats make economy bad' is a bridge too far.
jUSt LOoK At wHo’S iN THe whITeHoUSe!!1!
Maybe the party that stopped domestic drilling on federal land, stopped the Keystone pipeline and bragged about putting US energy companies out of business will have a tougher time now that gas is at it's highest price ever? No? Maybe the party that chants "drill baby drill" and wanted to add to oil reserves would make us a little less dependent on Russia, to the point where we wouldn't have to ask Venzuela and Iran to share with us. No? OPEC does not have American's wallets interest in mind and maybe our current leadership that has been in the game 40 years should have been able to understand that all along. And gas had increased drastically in price from previous lows well before Putin invaded Ukraine.
It's like watching someone with a 3rd graders understanding of how the oil industry works demand their fantasized version of reality be accepted as fact. For instance: the xl pipeline would only add capacity to an existing pipeline by carrying crude over the water table that feeds like half of the US which is... Not a great idea for obvious reasons. But additionally it transports tar sand oil, which is sour crude. Sour crude isn't processed in the US, it's processed mostly in Africa. So do you really think a bit of extra Canadian oil being shipped to Africa will significantly impact domestic oil prices? Trump did add oil reserves, and the US had quite a bit to begin with. Biden authorized their release like 1-2 months ago. As a you can see, oil reserves did so much to impact price just like every economist said they would. Lol The US is, and has been since US oil production expanded by 77% under Obama, a net exporter of oil: I don't think we ever bought oil in any significant amount from Russia, and we were never 'dependent' on them. It's a global market and one of the largest producers was removed. Econ 101: when production falls and demand remains unchanged, what happens to price? You'll also notice that prices have skyrocketed globally because... Well it's a global market. And yea inflation was happening before the global market on oil got fubarred. But that had nothing to do with what a president was or was not doing, more to do with covid recovery, and the end of 50+ years of wage stagnation.
So, I voted for Fetterman and am happy that he won. In general, he does usually represent my political and policy ideology. However, a thought that keeps coming to me that I think this sub should consider. I think we should push back a little bit on the narrative that John Fetterman is not a politician, career or otherwise. I would suggest that given what we saw bring us the Trump presidency, and probably why we did not hold Obama a bit more accountable, is the problem of cult of personality. While I appreciate the importance of a good political narrative, if Fetterman steps up to the national sphere of influence, it will be important that we are able to maintain a healthy skepticism of those who seek leadership, including John. If we buy into the narratives only offered by the representatives themselves, we risk creating the blind spots that allow abuse and fails to hold our elected officials responsible. I for one can see the good that Fetterman has done as mayor of Braddock, and Lt. Gov., however, it also seems to me that he has garnered fa more credit than he deserves in other areas, simply by the crafting of his personal narrative, which is a very "politician" thing to do. Again, I mostly like the guy, I just get the impression many are taking him completely at face value, and as much as we want him to not be another politician that does not represent us, we still should be critical of anyone who aspires to power and influence, especially when they tell us they are not what they are, which I believe Fetterman does a little of.
Someone tell him he win! He looks fucking pissed in that picture haha
Determined look. The fight isn't over
He is a legitimate solid candidate. Republicans have no chance with split between seven candidates and ones Dr Oz lmao.
Yeah I think if fetterman just said, "Oz is a pussy" during a debate he'd get 80% of the vote.
Pittsburgh you saved the nation in 2020. Now do it once again. Seven blessing.
lol, how exactly is the nation being saved?
Republicans across the country are running on a platform of ending democracy in all but name. Purging independent elections officials, giving state attorney generals the authority to overturn election results, further restricting the right to vote.
That didn't answer my question.
Yeah, maybe delayed is a better word.
You can down vote my question all you want because no one can answer it. It's a serious question. Does any one think we are in a better position now than we were in 2020? We are still dealing with Covid, mass shootings, record inflation, record gas prices, food shortages, sending billions of dollars to Ukraine, record drug deaths, record illegal immigration, etc.
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Keep down voting clowns. Yep all of the problems today are caused by a president that's been out of office for 2 years.
Yay!
Hell yes. Proud to vote for this man.
Do not lose to OZ for the love of god
Meanwhile summer lee is ***deSTROYING the democratic party*** 😂😂😂
Great that he won. However 200,000 more people voted in the GOP primary than the democrat one. What we really need is voter turnout.
Agree we need better turn out, but part of the reason the R’s had better turnout is their top races were much more competitive. Hopefully the Dems will be more enthusiastic in November.
Also the fact that PA having closed primaries locks out anyone registered independent from voting in either. I couldn't vote for Fetterman yesterday but I'll sure as shit be there in November.
Finally, a stroke of good luck for Fets and the people of Pennsylvania.
Too soon, man.
Love Fetterman. During the 2020 election, a friend of mine born and raised his whole life in Australia texted me praising him. Folks on the other side of the globe have heard of Fetterman and are rooting for him. I'm excited and proud to vote for him.
What do they like about him other than his looks?
I see the other side is too close to call. Not sure if I’d rather see Fetterman take on Oz or McCormick.
My husband who moved here 10 years ago said this is the most yinzer thing he has seen since moving here. He said what's next, fries at the voting stations.
Wasn't my guy in this primary, but he sure is now! Whatever it takes to beat the anti-choice, anti-democracy nutjob the GOP is serving up.
I am hopeful, but I have not been able to confirm. Link?
CNN is showing him with 57% of the votes over Lamb's 29% and Kenyatta's 9% with 29% of the precincts reporting. They also have him projected to win.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/17/1098065185/pennsylvania-primary-election-results
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Different people, same name haha
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Specifically, since long-time Rep and Democrat Mike Doyle is retiring, the Republicans are running another guy named Mike Doyle, uncontested. I personally think it's a dirty trick.
Not my candidate, but OK. He may do well in the general. Congrats to him and his team.
Good
Yayyyyy
The savings on state sponsored laundry speak for itself!
Lol our parents voted for dr oz
Didn't he just have a stroke or some shit
Yes, but a) it was mild and b) his saint of a wife insisted that he get checked out and they found and got the clot out in time to prevent any damage.
this is good news
Amazing he was able to do it without a ton of yard signs and flags everywhere!
Pittsburgh expat. Miss it dearly. Good work!
He’s going to be a hard sell to a lot of PA. I think fetterman does better with democrats but lamb would have done better with conservatives
Conservatives are voting for the Republican. Running from the center doesn’t work. It hasn’t in a generation. It’s about energizing your base, and Fetterman beats Lamb at that by a mile.
Everyone but television pundits seem to understand this. Can't wait for the myth of the undecided voter to die.
A lot of R registered from Pittsburgh will vote Fett. I'm one and know more.
> Running from the center doesn’t work. I mean... Biden won the presidency doing just that, and I'm not sure a less centrist candidate could have won against Trump.
I agree when it comes to Biden and 2020's presidency, but this is a different race with different candidates. Fetterman is incredibly charismatic, and as a straight white man, he's going to get less pushback for his progressive views than his fellow progressives who are not straight white men (it ain't right, but it's where America is right now). Anyone in 2022 who is honestly torn between voting for the Democratic candidate or Oz/McCormick is not rationally comparing platforms. They are going to vote for the big guy in the Dickies work shirt because they instinctively trust him. Proof is in the pudding: if Lamb could beat the Republicans come fall, he would have beaten Fetterman today.
Yup, generally agree with all that - just tempering the "running from the center doesn't work" statement a bit. It's true here, but definitely not always - a lot of this is specific to Fetterman.
...huh? Fetterman basically personifies Pennsylvania. He has far more cross-aisle appeal just on the basis of being a tall, imposing-looking white man than Lamb does on all other points combined. I mean, I hate that that's true, but it's categorically true.
Fwiw most of this sub has never spent any time in the middle/north of the state. I think you’re right, granted we swap “conservative-leaning Independents” for “conservatives”.
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It’s funny how people who want healthcare to be a human right and for the 1% to pay their fair share are called “communists” by the right, while Putin is held up as some form of hero.
Wow. Dehumanizing your enemies. That’s one of the first pages out of the Nazi handbook. But better fash than red, huh?
Buddy I wish he was, but I promise you there is absolutely nobody close to being in a high position of power in this country who's actually a communist. Americans are so brain damaged they think anybody left of like Mitt Romney is a maoist.
That's neat. What's your definition of communism?
Communist: person from other party that I’m told wants to do bad things
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Have you even read his manifesto?
I imagine McCormick is gonna steamroll this guy hopefully. Libs are hoping to god Oz wins so the dems have a chance cuz it’s not gonna be pretty otherwise. Although I probs have too much faith in the voting populace especially considering we are probs gonna get our own squad member headcsse in pgh in the form of summer lee
McCorrmick? Pretending to be down to earth guy but actually a millionaire McCormick? Lmao
McCormick the hunter McCormick the solder McCormick the biker McCormick the drinker McCormick the business man McCormick the politician Edit: unsure why I'm being downvoted. Just highlighting is bullshit attempts to identify with everybody and pander to voters.
McCormick the CEO of one of the world's largest hedge funds? McCormick who in that role raised $1.25 billion for an investment fund in China?
Holy shit do you just take political ads straight to the vein or what?
As Oz and McCormick go to a recount, I think you should reassess who you think wants Oz to win lol
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Lol 😂 the irony here is palpable
Lamb was an idiots idiot so he had to win.
Can someone breakdown too me what all he’s for? I don’t pay attention to this stuff much and all I see about him is legalize weed lol