John Fetterman is making politics fun.
We like that.
Today's post is easy and fun. Sit back and enjoy the ads. Consider the effect they have on voters in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman is doing well notwithstanding having had a debilitating stroke, being a Democrat in a Republican-leaning state, and having a wealthy and famous opponent, TV doctor Mehmet Oz. Fetterman is using message judo, turning his opponent's strengths into vulnerabilities.
Fentterman is punching up. He positions himself as the "regular guy" Pennsylvanian bringing down the inauthentic elitist. The ads are lighthearted enough that they don't come across as "negative." They send an implied message of Fetterman's fearlessness and willingness to confront the powerful. The ads are watchable and mentally "sticky."
Here is Steve Van Zandt, known for singing with Bruce Springsteen and known as an actor in The Sopranos, a TV series set in New Jersey.
"Snooki" teases Dr. Oz in the same vein. She is famous as a reality-TV personality, known for her role on Jersey Shore and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
Notice that the ads aren't condemning Oz for being a fraud. Their denoted content is goodwill, urging their fellow New Jersey resident to come back home.
Mehmet Oz put up an ad of himself in a vegetable aisle complaining about the price of "crudites," i.e. raw vegetables. It backfired. He misnamed the grocery store he was in. His word "crudites" ran counter to his effort to portray himself as a price-conscious "regular guy" shopper. Here is Fetterman, telling Oz what a veggi tray is.
"Rich people think differently" were the concluding words of this ad teasing Dr. Oz for saying he owned two houses when in fact he owned ten very large ones. We hear Oz sounding defensive and evasive when he says, "legitimately, I own two houses." The ad counts out his ten homes.
All four of the ads are funny. They don't condemn Oz nor do they praise Fetterman. They position Oz as an out-of-touch wealthy New Jersey interloper carpetbagger, and they do so without making us dislike Fetterman. That is judo.
Having a good sense of humor and not posting negative ads says a lot for Fetterman’s character. Wish more politicians took this approach. Mehmet is quickly becoming just a ‘’meh’’.