Dem
50
Ties
2
GOP
48
Throughout this cycle, and certainly since the Pennsylvania primary, there has been much pressure on Oprah Winfrey to make an endorsement in the U.S. Senate race. On one hand, as an entertainer, Mehmet Oz (R) was her kind of doctor—he might not have been so great in terms of medical ethics or integrity, but he brought in the viewers. On the other hand, even if Winfrey launched Oz's TV career, she's certainly not a Republican or a Trumper.
Yesterday, Lady O finally laid her cards on the table. Hosting an online event meant to encourage people to vote, she said, in response to a question: "I will tell you all this, if I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman for many reasons." Winfrey did not exactly lay out what those reasons might be, but she did say: "There are clear choices out there... to represent the values—this is what we're talking about—the values we hold dear. The values of inclusion, the values of compassion... that so many of us share, so use your discernment."
The Fetterman campaign has already jumped on the news, tweeting this:
WELCOME TO #TEAMFETTERMAN, @Oprah!! https://t.co/ZSYnEiNTZz
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) November 4, 2022
As you can see, it's got nearly 10,000 retweets and more than 40,000 likes, so the news is getting out there.
Will this move the needle? Who knows? Winfrey's words undoubtedly carry some weight, though it wasn't hard to guess what her true feelings were, given her past support for Democrats and how many times she refused to back Oz. It's even possible that the endorsement might backfire, since Winfrey is one of Democrats' most beloved celebrities, but is also one of Republicans' most hated. Truth be told, it could be that the most useful thing she could have done for Fetterman was not to endorse him, but instead to emphasize how important it is for Pennsylvanians to date their absentee ballots. (Z)