Waiting for the 8th - President Trump at Latrobe PA on Saturday

VIDEO: "Worst ever televised debate"

Not being a resident of Pennsylvania -- and thank goodness for that -- I didn't get a chance to see last night's so-called debate between the two candidates for the United States Senate, Dr Mehmet Oz (R) and John Fetterman (D). 

Watching this reportage from Sky News Australia's Paul Murray, I thank goodness again. Imagine being a Pennsylvanian and thinking it was actually possible that some of my neighbours might vote for Mr Fetterman, who gives every appearance of being in worse shape, mentally, than Demented Joe. I mean... really??!!

It is possible that Mr Fetterman might beat the Good Doctor. Last I heard, although Dr Oz has momentum, polls show the race as too close to call. And don't forget the Philadelphia Factor.

Democrat poll-watcher calls a precinct captain: "How many votes have you got?"

Reply: "How many do you need?"

God save the United States of America!

Further reading: "After Oz-Fetterman Debate, Pennsylvania Votes To Have No Representative In The Senate", Babylon Bee (of course!), 26/10/22.  

"Senator Oz"? Could be, as McCormick concedes

The Republicans have just been through one of those epic internecine battles for which they are famous, to see who would get to wrap himself in the GOP banner in this fall's Senate race in Pennsylvania. When the polls closed, David McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO and military veteran, trailed Turkish-American (or American-Turkish) TV personality Mehmet Cengiz Öz, known professionally as Dr Oz, by fewer than 1000 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast.

Both candidate wannabes deployed attorneys across the Keystone State to scrutinize the ballot-counting process as remaining mail-in ballots, provisional ballots, and ballots outstanding for any other reason were addressed in various counties. Pennsylvania is notorious for voting "irregularities", including delayed counts, although it must be said that such shenanigans more often occur in contests between Republicans and Democrats, rather than primaries.

Earlier this week, Mr McCormick filed a petition for a hand recount of disputed ballots, and it looked as if we might have to wait weeks or months to see who would get to take on Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in the general election. But last night... surprise, surprise... Mr McCormick announced that he had called Dr Oz to congratulate him on the race, and planned to support the celebrity doctor in the forthcoming battle.

"We've spent the last 17 days making sure that every Republican vote was counted in a way that would result in the will of the Pennsylvania voters being fulfilled," said Mr McCormick, "but it's now clear to me with the recount largely complete that we have a nominee." He added, "today I called Mehmet Oz to congratulate him on his victory, and I told him what I always said to you, that I will do my part to try to unite Republicans and Pennsylvanians behind his candidacy, behind his nomination for the Senate."

Further reading: "How Trump Paved Dr. Oz's Path", by Russell Berman in (surprise) The Atlantic3/6/22. Subhead: "The TV doctor's primary victory in Pennsylvania owes far more to the former president than a well-timed endorsement."