In a couple of weeks, John Fetterman will be back home in Braddock, Penn., in his loft apartment, playing with his kids and continuing to recover from what we now know was a devastating stroke. It’s what he should have been doing since he suffered the stroke in May.
But because he and his campaign hid the severity of his condition from the media, his party, and especially his opponent, Mehmet Oz, it came as a shock to see the 49-year-old giant of a man in such a confused state.
Whether it was due to hubris or simple denial of reality, Fetterman’s vulnerabilities were exposed for all to see. That is, everyone but a certain segment of the left-wing media that is working very hard to tell us that we didn’t see what we actually saw, that Fetterman didn’t do that badly.
Related: John Fetterman Is Just the Kind of Candidate the Democrats Want
“Actually, John Fetterman’s Debate Performance Was Fine.” coos Slate writer Shirin Ali. She quotes several doctors who claim that Fetterman’s hesitations and confusion are perfectly normal and will improve with time.
Probably.
Taking all of that into consideration, Sheth said he thinks Fetterman appears to be doing OK! Sure, he has some lingering auditory processing issues, but Sheth thought his ability to get into complex responses during Tuesday night’s debate should be viewed as reassuring, even if he was noticeably slower than his opponent (who is, to be fair, a TV veteran). Generally, the first three months following a stroke are considered the most important for recovery and when patients see the most improvements, and Fetterman is about five months post-stroke. But Sheth doesn’t think that means Fetterman is at the end of his road to recovery—he said there’s certainly still potential for more progress.
Many people who experience strokes end up with some level of disability—in fact it’s considered a leading cause of disability in the U.S. It’s possible that Fetterman will continue to struggle with processing, but it shouldn’t be viewed as a proxy for his cognition or thinking.
Not surprisingly, some of the most outrageous commentaries on Fetterman’s performance occurred on MSNBC, where one guest took the “everyone flubs it up on TV” tack.
MSNBC guest: "[Fetterman] had some really, really strong comebacks, and his opponent, Oz — first of all, he also fumbled, right? I fumble on television, right?
Anchor: "I definitely fumble on television."
Guest: "Oz was nervous and hesitant at first too. I mean, this happens." pic.twitter.com/MRVJ0hpENH
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) October 26, 2022
And when ignoring Fetterman’s disabilities got boring, the left accused Oz of “bullying” Fetterman.
Dr Oz just gave a masterclass on how to bully people with disabilities https://t.co/FA4AlG1rRa
— Liz Plank (@feministabulous) October 26, 2022
All of this is meant as a distraction, of course. It’s like the pet store sales clerk from the old Monty Python “Dead Parrot” sketch trying to convince the customer that the “Norwegian Blue” parrot he took home earlier that day wasn’t dead. It was just resting.
Mr. Praline: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I’m looking at one right now.
Owner: No, no, he’s not dead, he’s, he’s restin’! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn’it, ay? Beautiful plumage!
Mr. Praline: The plumage don’t enter into it. It’s stone dead.
Owner: Nononono, no, no! ‘E’s resting!
Mr. Praline: All right then, if he’s restin’, I’ll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) ‘Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I’ve got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if you show…
(owner hits the cage)
Owner: There, he moved!
Mr. Praline: No, he didn’t, that was you hitting the cage!
Owner: I never!!
Fetterman, like other left-wing “rising stars” Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams, will probably be recycled as a liberal hero in two or four years. Maybe by then, he’ll have learned his lesson to say as little as possible and, for god’s sake, to stay away from debates!
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