Fetterman-Oz U.S. Senate Debate: Takeaways From The Candidates' Clash

HARRISBURG, PA — The one and only debate between Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidates John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz Tuesday proved two things: that Fetterman still is struggling to recover from his May stroke and that the two men have a profound dislike for each other.

The debate drew national attention because of the perception among both major political parties that control of the Senate likely rides on who wins the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

The vitriol was on full display during the hour-long debate in an empty TV studio, as were missteps by both candidates.

Fetterman, the state's lieutenant governor, was caught in a blatant untruth when he said he had always supported fracking. During his first Senate bid in 2016, Fetterman stated this position on the issue on Twitter:

Asked by a debate moderator how to "square" his previous comments opposing fracking with his current stance, Fetterman said, "I do support fracking, and I don’t, I don’t — I support fracking, and I stand, and I do support fracking."

Oz, meanwhile, sidestepped a question as to whether he would support legislation Sen. Lindsay Graham introduced last month that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

“I don’t want the federal government involved with that at all,” Oz said when asked about his stance on whether he would support a federal abortion ban for cases not involving rape, incest, or life of the mother.

That's a stark contrast to what he stated in an telephone town hall event during the primary race. According to NBC News, Oz said in May that abortion at any stage of pregnancy is "still murder" because he believes that life begins at conception.

Here's what political writers across the country thought about the debate:

Holly Otterbein, POLITICO: "John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz sparred over abortion, fracking and other hot-button issues during their Senate debate Tuesday night, with the Democrat who suffered a stroke more than five months ago struggling at times to effectively communicate — missing words, pausing awkwardly and speaking haltingly."

Shane Goldmacher, The New York Times: "Standing at red and blue lecterns in a television studio in Harrisburg,Pa., the two men could scarcely conceal their disdain for each other, or the scope of their disagreements. Dr. Oz returned repeatedly to the issue of crime while trying to position himself as a centrist candidate. Mr. Fetterman slashed Dr. Oz as a wealthy outsider unfamiliar with the economic struggles of Pennsylvanians."

Dan Merica, Jeff Zeleny and Kit Maher, CNN: "Even though Fetterman’s speech has shown signs of considerable improvement with every passing week since his May stroke, it’s an open question whether it was a wise decision to put him on the stage with Oz. It was, at many points, difficult to watch. Most, if not all, Democrats will almost certainly give him the benefit of the doubt, but it’s an open question whether voters will."

Josh Kraushaar, Erin Doherty, Axios: "Following the debate, Fetterman's campaign said in a statement: 'We are thrilled with John’s performance. He did remarkably well tonight –
especially when you consider that he’s still recovering from a stroke and was working off of delayed captions filled with errors.

Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chairwoman, called Oz's performance "fantastic."'Supporting parents, lowering prices, keeping our streets safe… He had a clear message for the people of Pennsylvania!'"