"Journalists are hearing the profanity; voters are hearing the truth."
May 20, 2022 12:59 PM   Subscribe

Ed Simon of Belt Magazine: The Rise of Pennsylvania’s Everyday LeftCandidates like John Fetterman and Summer Lee are charting a more progressive future for Democrats
Conventional pundits have focused largely on Fetterman’s appearance when trying to explain his success. Wallace implied that it was the unconventionality of Fetterman that would turn off the mythic moderate voters of the Keystone State, that they couldn’t abide the tattoos and the gym shorts, as if the election of Donald Trump hadn’t demonstrated that none of the rules which the DC class hold sacrosanct regarding propriety, appearance, or language weren’t defunct. David A. Graham writes in The Atlantic that “Fetterman looks like he was hacked together from spare parts in an oil-streaked Pittsburgh chopper garage,” which is funny, but only part of the reason for the candidate’s surprising success. The article does an adequate job of explaining the psychic differences between Fetterman and his opponent, Representative Connor Lamb, the moderate former prosecutor and veteran who seems like he was designed in a McKinsey laboratory. But Graham’s too-clever-by-half conclusion regarding Fetterman’s appeal, that his “success comes in part because many voters are attracted to candidates more by ‘vibes’ than by detailed policy platforms,” does little to explain his broad support.

The answer is actually much simpler: most Pennsylvania Democrats agree with Fetterman’s policy positions—by a margin of more than thirty points, given the results of Tuesday’s election.

[...]

In this respect, Fetterman is a welcome sign of things to come. Another comes from Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, where Summer Lee pulled out a historic victory in the primary, all but ensuring that she’ll the first Black woman ever sent to Congress from Pennsylvania, joining recent left-wing stalwarts like Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Presley, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Lee will replace the reliably Democratic (though annoyingly conservative) Mike Doyle, who held office in an otherwise reliably liberal district, another sign that the future of the Democrats is to the left, where they might actually win, and then when they do, where they might actually govern.

[...]

More than a decade ago, that Levi’s ad intoned, “Maybe the world breaks on purpose, so that we can have work to do”—a sentiment of the early Obama years that’s gauzy and mythopoeic. But after Trump, it would be foolish to believe that the world breaks just so we can keep our hands busy—it breaks because certain people and interests benefit from breaking it. What this new left rising from Western Pennsylvania suggests is that there might just be a type of elected official who not only notices that the world is broken, but wants to join with residents to build something new.
posted by tonycpsu (17 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
Paraphrasing a tweet I saw: Fetterman represents the oaf constituency. Well, I hope he does, and I hope he takes it home. Democrats seem to need a big yelling guy of their own.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:09 PM on May 20, 2022 [15 favorites]


It's not a great trend that people vote for personalities because they can't be bothered about policies, but if it goes our way for once I'll take it.

There were a terrific number of attack ads aimed at Summer Lee, ostensibly put forward by Concerned Democrats--"Summer Lee wants to dismantle the Democratic party," that sort of thing. I thought "cool, me too". Oh, to have seen the faces of the people who spent all that money to try and trash her, when they found out they blew it all for nothing. It warms the heart to think of it.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 1:11 PM on May 20, 2022 [15 favorites]


I mean didn't they end up reducing her quite sizable lead over her opponent to only a few point ahead on election day? Yeah, she's in there, so the they didn't get that, but they did succeed in reducing her perceived/actual mandate and changing the story from "progressive outsider insurgency" or whatever to "progressives can only ever squeeze by by the smallest of margins and if we want to be safe we should go with the boring safe suburban-dad-looking white guy next time who happens to be indistinguishable from a Republican from the 1990s..."
posted by flamk at 1:24 PM on May 20, 2022 [6 favorites]


It's not a great trend that people vote for personalities because they can't be bothered about policies, but if it goes our way for once I'll take it.

People ALWAYS vote based on personalities. If they voted on policy Reagan wouldn't have carried 49 states in '84 and Kerry would have been elected in '04.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 1:24 PM on May 20, 2022 [15 favorites]


Missing from this piece: Fetterman's barnstorming across the Commonwealth, his focus on the local, and his relentless, smart use of social media. Dude was everywhere. I don't know where Conor Lamb was, but Fetterman was at that little picnic in an overwhelmingly red county, shaking hands and posing for pictures. Yeah, Wawa versus Sheetz, but also his mentions of specific local specialties he ate while traveling ("Hey, Betty from Hanover, thanks for the bag of Utz chips, the kids loved them" kind of thing, or stopping at a Turnpike fast food spot to bring home pizza for his wife). Oh my God, the endless emails asking for money! But also the constant reminders about his humanity, his ability to listen to everyday folks, and his fighter's attitude--all of that added up. I firmly believe that his appearance and affect disarm (or at least don't trigger) non-Trump Republicans; he does not immediately read as the enemy, and something relatable sneaks through their tribal barrier. Tattooed, blunt, gregarious and damned smart, too. I can't say I'm looking forward to the next few months, but I cannot wait to celebrate his upcoming win. Go, Fetterman!
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:31 PM on May 20, 2022 [32 favorites]


(Probably my favorite piece of John Fetterman trivia.

Somebody needs to sell me a ꟻƎTTERMAN tshirt.)
posted by box at 1:42 PM on May 20, 2022 [2 favorites]


Paraphrasing a tweet I saw: Fetterman represents the oaf constituency.
Hey, so was Shrek, and look what happened to him and his constituency -- happy ever after! 😉

Fetterman is already on record stating that he is not from any 'progressive' wing, but rather emphatically a "Democrat from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party". Which is what every progressive (or any Dem for that matter) who's worth voting for and who wants to win should say when asked.

Personally, I can't help thinking of this TOS-era couple when I see him and his wife on the web or tv, but to me that makes him even more endearing.

I'm really excited to see what he will do ifwhen he gets in.

If only Letterman would endorse Fetterman as the better man for PA.
posted by zaixfeep at 1:55 PM on May 20, 2022 [13 favorites]


And so we're going to all quietly ignore that we're cheering on a man who pulled a gun on an unarmed black man for no reason, it seems.
posted by NoxAeternum at 2:34 PM on May 20, 2022 [4 favorites]


I cast my vote for Alex Khalil, with no real illusions that she was going to get much of the vote. If I'm still in the state for the general (got a move coming up, and I'm not quite sure yet whether it'll be before or after November) I'll happily tick the box for Fetterman. He doesn't represent me perfectly, but he's the best representation I'm going to get.
posted by biogeo at 2:48 PM on May 20, 2022 [1 favorite]


I would have liked to see Malcolm Kenyatta get that spot for several reasons including The Gun Thing. But Fetterman is a much better candidate than Lamb, and Summer Lee is terrific.

Although redistributing has taken me out of her constituency, I was also pleased to see that Sara Innamorato seems to have sailed through her primary. I remember seeing these same “the rise of PA’s new leftists” articles about her when she won in 2018, in an election for which I had to pass a bunch of VOTE AGAINST SOCIALIST INNAMORATO” ads to vote her in. I’m glad she wasn’t a blip.
posted by Stacey at 3:41 PM on May 20, 2022 [5 favorites]


And so we're going to all quietly ignore that we're cheering on a man who pulled a gun on an unarmed black man for no reason, it seems.

NBC News summary of the incident and opinions from various PA political folks on how it may affect Fetterman's campaign for those who might not know what the above comment is referencing.

Thanks for the link to Belt Magazine, tonycpsu. I wasn't familiar before and it looks like it publishes some interesting stuff.
posted by the primroses were over at 3:43 PM on May 20, 2022 [4 favorites]


And so we're going to all quietly ignore that we're cheering on a man who pulled a gun on an unarmed black man for no reason, it seems.

Not at all. Here's the section in Wikipedia recappinng it. If anyone else would be kind enough to post a more detailed and/or less flattering account of the incident here, I want to read it.

If Fetterman were Republican, I'd absolutely assume his words and actions were in bad faith and bin him before I finished typing this sentence.

If anyone believes this seemingly forthright progressive egalitarian candidare is also a violent racist then by all means please widely disseminate the proof NOW so he can be made to withdraw before it's too late. We definitely don't need another Kyrsten Sinema bait-and-switcher in the Senate.

[oops posted before seeing primrose's post]
posted by zaixfeep at 3:55 PM on May 20, 2022 [6 favorites]


also btw, catching my eye in PA politics...
What Went Down During The May 17 Primary Elections - 538's Nathaniel Rakich: "According to our research, at least 28 candidates who reject or question the results of the 2020 election won Republican primaries last night — most notably for Pennsylvania governor, an office that could have the power to overturn the 2024 presidential election."
posted by kliuless at 12:41 AM on May 21, 2022 [2 favorites]


Should we be concerned about Fetterman's recent health problems?
posted by Selena777 at 7:45 AM on May 21, 2022


kliuless, related: Report: Hundreds of state legislators, including Pa., have joined far-right Facebook groups. The report shows that 40 Pa. Republican lawmakers, who hold majorities in the state House and Senate, joined such groups.

But back to Fetterman. Another thing he did was to highlight his wife, Giselle, and her practical, hands-on work at the Free Store. For me, that conveyed his respect for her, and for women being involved at a grassroots level in civic action (a stark contrast to the many Pennsylvania R's who want to limit women's autonomy). I think there's a lot to be said about Fetterman's approach to conveying masculinity in a way that's both recognizable to more conservative voters and inclusive enough to connect with liberal-leaning voters.
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:20 AM on May 21, 2022 [3 favorites]


a stark contrast to the many Pennsylvania R's who want to limit women's autonomy

also from 538...
The Real Dividing Line On Abortion - "It's not about a procedure. It's about women's place in the world."
posted by kliuless at 10:10 PM on May 21, 2022


The article really really wants it to be about Fetterman's position on the issues (though it can't quite keep things straight -- one minute it's criticizing Chris Wallace for calling Fetterman a radical and the next paragraph it's talking about how he's the most far-left candidate ever nominated), but Fetterman and Conor Lamb have roughly the same positions on the two main issues it highlights (abortion and marijuana).

Fetterman's a smart politician who has crafted a compelling persona for himself, and it turns out people like that.
posted by Galvanic at 9:31 AM on May 22, 2022 [1 favorite]


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