Sen. John Fetterman is the best Democratic candidate for 2028, IMHO.....

[CrimsonJazz]

Looks like it's gonna be a bumpy ride...

Sen. John Fetterman raises alarms with outburst at meeting with union officials, AP sources say

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was meeting recently with representatives from a teachers union when things quickly devolved.

apnews.com

Fetterman has long been a wild card in the political realm, forging a career largely on his own, independently from the Democratic Party.

Suddenly the problem comes into focus. My gut tells me this line is the true thesis of this article.

 

[jthomas666]

Suddenly the problem comes into focus. My gut tells me this line is the true thesis of this article.

Did your gut read the description of what actually happened?

 

[CrimsonJazz]

Did your gut read the description of what actually happened?

Yes, I can read hearsay and anonymous sources as well as anyone else, thank you.

 

[jthomas666]

Yes, I can read hearsay and anonymous sources as well as anyone else, thank you.

You can jump to conclusions, too!

 

[CrimsonJazz]

You can jump to conclusions, too!

 

[Huckleberry]

The Atlantic Gift Link

The Partisan Mind Virus
Dismissing evidence that a politician might be unfit for office is as much a mistake for the right as it was for the left.

Remember the days after President Joe Biden’s barely coherent debate performance, when Democratic dead-enders insisted that nothing was the matter? That was embarrassing. But apparently it wasn’t so embarrassing that everybody took away the correct lesson, because something similar is now happening between Senator John Fetterman and a coterie of admirers on the right. Conservatives are now doing the exact same thing that the Biden defenders did: denying the obvious unfitness of a politician because he’s politically useful.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

The Atlantic Gift Link

The Partisan Mind Virus
Dismissing evidence that a politician might be unfit for office is as much a mistake for the right as it was for the left.

Remember the days after President Joe Biden’s barely coherent debate performance, when Democratic dead-enders insisted that nothing was the matter? That was embarrassing. But apparently it wasn’t so embarrassing that everybody took away the correct lesson, because something similar is now happening between Senator John Fetterman and a coterie of admirers on the right. Conservatives are now doing the exact same thing that the Biden defenders did: denying the obvious unfitness of a politician because he’s politically useful.

This is some world class gaslighting given the fact it was Democrats who pretended Fetterman was lucid enough to stay on ballot in 2022…..when he was “politically useful.”

Get us the videos of Fetterman falling down, stammering incoherently and falling over on a bike - something other than anonymous sources who went to a left wing outlet to go Full Susan Collins.

If they can get a video in 2012 of Romney and his 47% remark then they can damn sure get one of Fetterman to support their claims.

And again….these anonymous sources wouldn’t say the first word if Shapiro was a Republican who would appoint the replacement. They’re pretending to care about health and the senator and they’re using their own failure to tell the truth the last two years as an asset. What they care about is holding the seat and (probably) with someone not so pro-Israel.


(I’ve said - they might be telling 100% truth - but I’m gonna need something more than “two anonymous sources leaking to NY Mag” to get on board).

 

[crimsonaudio]

The Atlantic Gift Link

The Partisan Mind Virus
Dismissing evidence that a politician might be unfit for office is as much a mistake for the right as it was for the left.

Remember the days after President Joe Biden’s barely coherent debate performance, when Democratic dead-enders insisted that nothing was the matter? That was embarrassing. But apparently it wasn’t so embarrassing that everybody took away the correct lesson, because something similar is now happening between Senator John Fetterman and a coterie of admirers on the right. Conservatives are now doing the exact same thing that the Biden defenders did: denying the obvious unfitness of a politician because he’s politically useful.

Comparing what we've seen from Fetterman with what we saw from Biden is completely laughable.

 

[Crimson1967]

A Senator or House member who isn’t all there doesn’t bother me that much. Yes, I would prefer my senators be able to carry on regular conversations and have an ability to understand current events. But if their main function is just voting the party line then whatever. Fetterman isn’t going to cause an international crisis any more than Dianne Feinstein was a threat to democracy basically being in Hospice care the last years of her term.

But I have high standards for the mental stability of the president and anyone helping to cover it up, even if they are just an observer looking the other way, is doing a grave injustice to the country.

 

[Huckleberry]

Comparing what we've seen from Fetterman with what we saw from Biden is completely laughable.

Certainly true thus far, but this will be an interesting story to follow.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Certainly true thus far, but this will be an interesting story to follow.

Could be. Or could be a nothing burger. Until / unless I see it with my own eyes it's a non-story to me as people in DC lie as naturally as you and I breathe.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

A Senator or House member who isn’t all there doesn’t bother me that much. Yes, I would prefer my senators be able to carry on regular conversations and have an ability to understand current events. But if their main function is just voting the party line then whatever. Fetterman isn’t going to cause an international crisis any more than Dianne Feinstein was a threat to democracy basically being in Hospice care the last years of her term.

But I have high standards for the mental stability of the president and anyone helping to cover it up, even if they are just an observer looking the other way, is doing a grave injustice to the country.

Was about to make this point as well.
You can’t really compare the office of the presidency, where the occupant has the power to destroy the world with the bush of a button, with one senator who is offset by 99 others.


Also, should I point out that Democrats did NOT come out and called on Biden to RESIGN….. He kept the office until his term was over. He just didn’t get money for reelection.

But that might be too much nuance for the red/blue worldview.,

 

[selmaborntidefan]

For the record “The Atlantic” was singing quite a different tune when they feared losing senate control in 2022:

The Survivor Vote

How John Fetterman’s stroke helped deepen his everyman appeal among some supporters

www.theatlantic.com

Don’t Patronize Fetterman

The Pennsylvania Democrat deserves to face the same questions—and to be given the same opportunities—as any other candidate.

www.theatlantic.com

Back then, any questioning of him was partisan Republican politics. Amazingly now, just the opposite is also partisan Republican politics.

Also, y’all are welcome to explain how Fetterman was one of 35 Democratic senators to get an “A” rating from Progressive Punch for his votes in his first two years in the Senate. That is a liberal website that monitors all of their votes - and Fetterman scores a top grade, voting with “correctly” 87.2% of the time, placing him ahead of Mark Warner (I guess the fact Virginia has a Republican governor obviously has nothing to do with them not trying to run him out of town) and on CRUCIAL votes he’s ahead of Warner, Slotkin, and Gallego.

I’m sorry, but how Republicans are allegedly benefiting from a guy who votes against them seven out of every eight votes is ridiculous.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

For the record “The Atlantic” was singing quite a different tune when they feared losing senate control in 2022:

The Survivor Vote

How John Fetterman’s stroke helped deepen his everyman appeal among some supporters

www.theatlantic.com

Don’t Patronize Fetterman

The Pennsylvania Democrat deserves to face the same questions—and to be given the same opportunities—as any other candidate.

www.theatlantic.com

Back then, any questioning of him was partisan Republican politics. Amazingly now, just the opposite is also partisan Republican politics.

Also, y’all are welcome to explain how Fetterman was one of 35 Democratic senators to get an “A” rating from Progressive Punch for his votes in his first two years in the Senate. That is a liberal website that monitors all of their votes - and Fetterman scores a top grade, voting with “correctly” 87.2% of the time, placing him ahead of Mark Warner (I guess the fact Virginia has a Republican governor obviously has nothing to do with them not trying to run him out of town) and on CRUCIAL votes he’s ahead of Warner, Slotkin, and Gallego.

I’m sorry, but how Republicans are allegedly benefiting from a guy who votes against them seven out of every eight votes is ridiculous.

When you're looking at the Manchin (etc.!) effect, you don't look at averages, you look at those handful of tight votes where his maverick tendency might come in handy. You can never tell when that might be...

 

[Bazza]

 

[Huckleberry]

View attachment 51177

I agree with Fetterman 100% on this. Though I believe that the “riots” in LA have been overblown by the media, Newsom and other Democratic leaders should have seized the moment to condemn the violence and emphasized every effort to protect law-abiding citizens. Instead, all we get are criticisms of Trump and his ridiculous response to the situation.

 

[81usaf92]

I agree with Fetterman 100% on this. Though I believe that the “riots” in LA have been overblown by the media, Newsom and other Democratic leaders should have seized the moment to condemn the violence and emphasized every effort to protect law-abiding citizens. Instead, all we get are criticisms of Trump and his ridiculous response to the situation.

The problem that I have with West Coast governors is that tend to let things spiral out of control in terms of riots before they take the more obvious steps to stop the violence. As bad as Ferguson was, it was far more contained than even the more basic LA riot.

Newsom really needed to beat Trump to the punch on the National Guard and establishing a curfew. Because it was beyond obvious that things had escalated to the point that some heightened response was necessary. Now his inaction just lost him any ability to come out positively in response to national emergency because he just gave Trump a victory by giving him and republicans a talking point for the next 3 years about how they stop riots.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I admire Fetterman's independence of thought. We'd disagree on a lot of stuff, but there's enough common ground that we could work together in the same way that Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill did. I think he'd be huge fun to hang out with.

Unfortunately, if the stress of a Senate seat causes mental health issues, the stress of the Presidency would be beyond his capacity.

Like Homer Smith, he might not have the stuff to be the #1 guy. That doesn't mean he can't be an incredibly valuable #2. If the Democrats would listen to him and act on his suggestions, they could steamroll the most vulnerable Republican party since Barry Goldwater. Maybe since Herbert Hoover.

But they are so wedded to identity politics and hatred of Trump that they are incapable of seizing the opportunity of at least two, maybe five, generations.

 

[JDCrimson]

They are wedded to identity politics mostly because the people making the decisions only have a seat at the table because of their identity. They can't contribute anything strategically to the party.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I agree with Fetterman 100% on this. Though I believe that the “riots” in LA have been overblown by the media, Newsom and other Democratic leaders should have seized the moment to condemn the violence and emphasized every effort to protect law-abiding citizens. Instead, all we get are criticisms of Trump and his ridiculous response to the situation.

They've had this problem since 1965, largely because they cower in fear of being called a racist (and love to fire that accusation at others). I would argue it's racist to ASSUME that every rioter is "non-white", but a lot of what happens is "mob rule," where a bunch of folks knowing they have backup suddenly grow courage they'd never have in an actual shooting war.

Seriously - find me another riot OTHER THAN 1/6/21 where Democrats en masse all agreed to condemn riots. Once in awhile you'll have a bastion of courage who will speak up and that person will get tattooed head to toe with labels of being mean people/racist/conservative/anti-poverty relief from the usual suspects in the party.

The part that's so damn stupid is this: if you actually know any black people, THEY LARGELY condemn this kind of stuff as well and are absolutely embarrassed by it. They largely do NOT favor "defunding the police," either - and btw, Joe Biden of all people understood this. Sure, there are a few get along/go along folks in all races, but there's still (for the most part) a fundamental goodness in most Americans/people.