Dr. Oz.Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Dr. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor and Pennsylvania’s Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, can’t seem to escape his history of proudly proclaiming to be a New Jerseyan.
On Wednesday — also known as National New Jersey Day — Oz’s Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov.John Fetterman, further provedhis internet savvinessas he and his wife took a moment to once again remind Pennsylvania voters that Oz only declared residency in the state a year beforeannouncing his Senate run.
“Today is averybig day for Dr. Oz,” Fetterman says in a video posted to Twitter, referring to National New Jersey Day. “It’s a holiday recognizing Dr. Oz’s home state!”
Fetterman’s strategy to keep Oz’s New Jersey roots on voters' minds is not a new one. In recent weeks Fettermanflew a “Welcome Home” banner over the Jersey Shorewhile Oz was visiting one of his Jersey residences,started a petition to induct Oz in the New Jersey Hall of Fame, andcalled him a “tourist"when an image of him in a Pennsylvania market reached the internet.
He also recruited famous New Jersey residents to film videos aligning themselves with Oz. In one,Jersey Shore’s Snookipoked fun at Oz’s move to Pennsylvania, calling it “temporary” while he attempts to “look for a new job.”
John Fetterman, Mehmet Oz.Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bonnie Biess/Getty
While delivered in jest, Fetterman’s point has seemed to resonate with voters, who are facing constant reminders of Oz’s long affinity for Jersey.
Though he is running as a Democrat in hopes of replacing Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, Fetterman has pulled ahead of Oz in both polling and fundraising,even while recovering from a stroke. Oz theorizes thatDemocrats are quicker to fund campaigns than MAGA Republicans; Fetterman thinks it’s a testament to voters' priorities.
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Oz has tried to distance himself from New Jersey since entering the Senate race, an important move to earn voters' trust.In an interview with ABC27, Oz said, “I’m very proud that I’m a Pennsylvanian,” adding that Pennsylvanians “care much more for what I stand for than where I’m from.”
But not too long ago, his Garden State identity was proudly on display as he fawned over the people of New Jersey, calling them his favorite thing about the state. “Each of us are the safety net for the other next to us,” he told Hip New Jerseyin a 2020 video interview. “That’s what humanity has always been about and we know it in New Jersey.”
In terms of lifestyle, Oz’s values also seem to misalign with his would-be constituents — something that has nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with relatability.
Once quick to post about his regular attendance at Yankees and Giants baseball games, he can’t connect with voters over the Phillies and Pirates. Formerly ranked thefifth most influential New Jersey resident(and still known to frequently return to his upscale, Manhattan-facing Jersey home), Oz doesn’t resonate with blue-collar workers in the same way no-frills Fetterman does.
Those seemingly little things now put the Republican Party at risk of losing a Senate seat. And thewealth of recorded statementsOz has made about loving New Jersey certainly aren’t helping.
source: people.com
