Five takeaways from the Fetterman-Oz debate in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz took part in Pennsylvanias first and only Senate debate on Tuesday as polls show the race narrowing ahead of Election Day. 

The hour-long forum presented by Nexstar, which also owns The Hill shone a spotlight on Fettermans recovery from a stroke as the Democrat at times struggled to answer questions coherently. Oz, a former TV personality, appeared to be in his element, on the other hand.

But policy issues like the economy, abortion and fracking also took center stage throughout the night. 

Here are five takeaways from the Pennsylvania Senate debate.  Fettermans challenges with stroke on full display

It was the “elephant in the room,” as Fetterman himself put it in his opening remarks addressing his health issues.

Scrutiny has been growing over the Democrat’s health since he suffered a stroke in May. On Tuesday night, the challenges he sometimes faces in communicating as a result of his recovery were on full display.

Fetterman was aided by a closed captioning system throughout the debate to help him understand the moderators’ questions, but he still struggled at times to form clear sentences.

Republican critics were quick to pounce on Fettermans performance, pointing out that he opened the debate with Hi, goodnight everybody.”

Fetterman particularly struggled to answer a question about whether he supported fracking. Pressed on how he squared his past comments in 2018 in which he voiced opposition to the practice with his current support for it, Fetterman offered a halting response.

“I..I do support fracking…and…I don’t, I don’t…I support fracking and I stand and I do support fracking,” he said, in a moment that went viral.

Fettermans campaign released a statement following the forum saying it was thrilled with Johns performance, especially given the circumstances of him recovering from a stroke. 

John may not have pronounced every word correctly, but it was Oz who had the biggest gaffes of the night, Calvello said. Oz refused to answer a single yes or no question directly including on the GOPs national abortion ban or the bipartisan gun safety law. 

Still, Fettermans performance on Tuesday night likely wont quell concerns over his ability to serve. Oz has a good night

Oz clearly had the upper hand going into the debate, given his experience working as an on-air television personality. While there have certainly been bumps in the road for Oz and his campaign, the Republican appeared polished and disciplined Tuesday night, as he echoed the national GOP message of combating inflation, crime and the flow of migrants over the southern border. 

One of the biggest questions Oz faced going into the debate was how he would address Fettermans health. 

The situation for Oz is particularly unique, not only because he’s Fettermans opponent but also because he has a medical background. Ozs campaign came under fire earlier this year when an aide mocked Fetterman after his stroke.

For the most part, Oz avoided launching any pointed attacks on Fetterman regarding his stroke, focusing instead on clear, forceful answers on policy issues.

To be sure, it wasnt all smooth sailing for Oz. His response to a question on abortion immediately drew attention online, in which he appeared to say that women, doctors, local political leaders should be involved in decisions on the procedure. Fettermans campaign was quick to seize on the remarks, announcing they were planning to release an ad containing the clip following the debate.

Overall, though, Ozs allies likely felt reassured coming away from his performance. Oz makes his pitch to suburbia

Fetterman and Democrats have relentlessly worked to portray Oz as out of touch and too conservative for the Keystone State, but Oz took the opportunity on Tuesday to paint himself as a moderate in a pitch likely aimed at swing voters in crucial areas like the Philadelphia suburbs. 

Oz opened the debate by saying he wanted to bring civility and balance to the Senate if elected while labeling Fettermans positions on policies as extreme, radical and out of touch. 

The Republican appeared to take a somewhat more moderate stance on abortion, saying he would not support a federal abortion ban when asked about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) proposed national abortion ban. However, critics were quick to point out that he did not answer the question as to whether he would support Grahams specific proposal with a yes or no answer.

The Republican also hammered Fetterman on issues like crime and immigration, positioning himself as the more centrist candidate. Debate has its testy moments

Tensions flared between Fetterman and Oz on more than one occasion, with both candidates echoing the ugly attacks seen on the campaign trail. 

Fetterman frequently attacked Oz for being out of touch, referencing Ozs ten gigantic mansions. He also repeatedly said its Ozs rule to lie. 

The Democrat also notably interrupted Oz during his closing statement, accusing him of wanting to cut Social Security. 

Oz also went on the offensive through the forum, demanding that Fetterman apologize for detaining an unarmed Black man with a gun in 2013 and accusing him of avoiding paying his taxes. 

Throughout the night, the tenor of the debate remained charged even if voices were never raised. Could it be a game-changer? 

Even compared to other Senate debates, the Pennsylvania event was closely watched by political observers.

Fettermans performance in particular is likely to raise concerns among Democrats in the last two weeks of the midterm season. The Hills Morning Report Red wave likely in House as GOP gains crucial edge Blumenthal holds 13-point lead in Connecticut Senate race: poll

Ozs supporters are already saying that the debate showcased how unprepared the Democrat is to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Fettermans supporters, on the other hand, say that the real test is the candidates on-the-ground campaign game. 

Ultimately, its unclear how much the debate will matter in the long run. But should Oz pull up from behind and win in November, its likely many will point to the debate as a key turning point in the race.