Have you ever read the news and heard the names of some politicians that were unfamiliar to you? I am sure that most of you who are reading this have been in this situation. I am a political science major here at Eastern Mennonite University and I am writing this column to help people learn more about politicians who are making choices which affect all of us. With elections coming up in 2024, I want to make sure people are well informed regarding this topic. Every issue, I will give you a snapshot of a politician, what they have done recently, where they stand on specific issues, my general review, and my biased opinion about them.
The first politician I will cover is the junior senator from Pennsylvania, John Fetterman. He was elected this past fall when a seat opened up after Republican senator Pat Tomey retired. Fetterman ran as a Democrat against his Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz. According to The Associated Press, Dr. Oz got 46% of the vote, a loss to Fetterman’s 51%. In a state like Pennsylvania, this is a significant accomplishment for anybody to do, especially John Fetterman, considering he had a stroke during his run for office.
Fetterman was able to do so well in a swing state like Pennsylvania because of his unique brand and style of politics. He has tattoos on his arms and usually wears a hoodie with a pair of gym shorts. According to CNN, the tattoos he has are the dates of every shooting victim in Braddock where he was previously mayor. That type of style was received well in Pennsylvania. From what I could tell, Pennsylvanians liked that there was somebody who seemed relatable running for the job instead of an elite like Dr. Oz.
Fetterman started out as the mayor of a small town called Braddock, which is very close to Pittsburg. He later became Lt. Governor of the state, working with Governor Tom Wolf. He is a “Bernie Bro,” which means that in 2016 he supported Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. He is considered a progressive and is a staunch supporter of Medicare for all, legalizing cannabis, and abolishing the filibuster, according to his website. He is loved by the more progressive members of the Democratic party. He is also strongly pro-union, so he gets a lot of blue-collar support. The establishment of the Democratic party, from what I can understand, does not know what to do with him. I mean, what can you do with someone who is six foot eight and speaks his mind? I do not think the establishment actually liked him that much, but he had a big following, so they did not want to go against him. He reached many blue-collar voters who had started to leave the Democratic party in the last 20 years. The only thing that progressives and environmental groups do not really like about the new senator is that he is pro-fracking, but to get elected in Pennsylvania, you almost have to be pro-fracking.
I voted for him in this past election. I really like him, and I think he could make a big difference and change how senators act. I realize that he is far to the left, and not everyone would like that, but I cannot wait to see what he does in the Senate.
