John Fetterman is back on the campaign trail after recovering from a stroke and memes blasting Dr. Oz have helped his campaign score big in the polls.

Jimmie Johnson Reporter

Memes playing pivotal role in PA Senate race between Fetterman, Oz

Aug 15, 2022

Jimmie Johnson Reporter

By Jimmie Johnson (Reporter), Ryan Tiedgen (Editor)

John Fetterman is back on the campaign trail after experiencing a life-threatening health scare in March. Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor has appeared before the media after recovering from a stroke.

The tattoo-bearing, hoodie-wearing, and meme-sharing politician is running for U.S. Senate against former TV doctor Mehmet Oz. Both are vying to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA).

“I’m glad Fetterman is healthy so he can worry less about his heart and hoodie and more about the crazy leftist ideas in his head,” Dr. Oz said in a July 14, 2022 campaign ad.

While Fetterman has been away from the trail, his campaign has not stopped taking shots at Oz. It has leveraged comedy, celebrities, and social media to take digs at the talk show host turned politician.

Snooki, a star on MTV’s reality TV show Jersey Shore, published a Cameo focusing on Oz’s New Jersey roots:

Hey @DrOz 👋

JERSEY loves you + will not forget you!!! 🥰 pic.twitter.com/YmaXfMpzUK

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) July 14, 2022

Fetterman’s account tweeted:

We thought it would be *so* nice to honor Dr. Oz's Jersey Pride. So we're starting a petition to get him inducted into the @NJHallofFame! 🎉

Add your name here and let's show him our support: https://t.co/mMqaHYvGpO pic.twitter.com/2J812jNJbl

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) July 21, 2022

Despite an absence from campaigning, Fetterman has maintained his homegrown appeal and is polling ahead of Oz, according to FiveThirtyEight. The former athlete lives in a steel town where he served as mayor before being elected lieutenant governor in 2019.

According to Fetterman’s website, if elected to represent Pennsylvanians in Washington, some of the issues of importance to him include marijuana legalization, criminal justice reform, and laws aimed at creating jobs and boosting the economy.

“For every job left and factory closed, for every person that works hard and can’t get ahead as costs keep rising,” Fetterman said in a July 7, 2022 campaign ad, “Those decisions were made for us by people who don’t know us. And that’s exactly who we’re running against.”

Tags: 2022 Elections, John Fetterman, Mehmet Oz

JIMMIE JOHNSON: HE’S THE TATTOO-BEARING, HOODIE-WEARING, AND MEME-SHARING POLITICIAN WHOSE FACE YOU MAY RECOGNIZE BUT NAME YOU MIGHT NOT.

PENNSYLVANIA’S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR U-S SENATE IS MAKING WAVES AS HE BUTTS HEADS WITH A FORMER TV DOCTOR.

JOHN FETTERMAN, J1N YOU NEED TO KNOW.

IN JULY, FETTERMAN BEGAN MAKING MEDIA APPEARANCES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS – AFTER RECOVERING FROM A LIFE-THREATENING STROKE IN MAY.

HE’S IN A TIGHT RACE AGAINST REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER, CELEBRITY DOCTOR, AND CONSERVATIVE MEHMET OZ.

DR OZ: “I’m glad Fetterman is healthy so he can worry less about his heart and hoodie and more about the crazy leftist ideas in his head.”>

JOHNSON: WHILE HE’S BEEN AWAY FROM THE TRAIL, HIS CAMPAIGN HAS NOT LET UP.

TAKING SHOTS AT OZ IN THE FORM OF MEMES – MANY FOCUSING ON HIS NEW JERSEY ROOTS.

THERE WAS A CAMEO BY INFAMOUS JERSEY SHORE STAR SNOOKI:

SNOOKI: “I heard you moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to look for a new job.”

JOHNSON: AND NOW…

JOHN FETTERMAN: ”To honor Dr. Oz’s deep New Jersey roots, we thought it would be a great idea to start a petition and help him reach his dream of being inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.”

BOTH ARE VYING TO FILL THE SEAT OF RETIRING REPUBLICAN SENATOR PAT TOOMEY.

IT’S A SEAT CRUCIAL FOR DEMOCRATS LOOKING TO EXPAND OR HOLD ONTO THEIR RAZOR-THIN MAJORITY IN THE SENATE.

FETTERMAN HAS A HOMEGROWN APPEAL LEADING IN THE POLLS. THE FORMER ATHLETE LIVES IN A STEEL TOWN, SERVED AS MAYOR, AND THEN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SINCE 2019.

ISSUES HE COULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF IN WASHINGTON – LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA, CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, AND LAWS AIMED AT BOOSTING THE ECONOMY.

FETTERMAN: ”For every job left and factory closed, for every person that works hard and can’t get ahead as costs keep rising. Those decisions were made for us by people who don’t know us. And that’s exactly who we’re running against.”>

JOHNSON: SO, CAN THIS 6-FOOT-NINE LAWMAKER REGAIN HIS POLITICAL FOOTING? PENNSYLVANIANS WILL DETERMINE THAT IN NOVEMBER. JOHN FETTERMAN, J1N YOU NEED TO KNOW.