Social and news media commenters seize on senator’s gaffe, with some characterizing it as a Freudian slip
With speculation about whether he may defect from the Democratic party swirling around him, US senator John Fetterman described himself seemingly unintentionally as a “lifelong Republican” during a fireside chat in Texas over the weekend.
Fetterman made the comment when someone listening to him speak with CBS News political correspondent Major Garrett at the Texas Tribune Festival on Saturday asked the Pennsylvania senator why he had not become an independent.
“Because I’m a lifelong Republican,” Fetterman replied. Garrett promptly corrected him by saying, “Democrat,” as Fetterman raised a hand and shook his head in disbelief.
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If I stroke out just pull the plug, I can’t risk becoming a Republican.
because he is
oh, did the new rotating villain drop early?
I think this one has been teased for a while.
Never trust a motherfucker from York county.
Yes, we know. Dude is just a Republican plant.
I’m convinced that it’s his stroke causing a personality change and possibly cognitive decline.
If you listen to him, he clearly still has issues with speech after the stroke. A speech impediment isn’t inherently disqualifying from being a lawmaker, but such a dramatic change to someone’s brain should have automatically triggered a re-election that allowed the voters to evaluate if he could still perform his duties to the same degree as when he was elected by the people.
Except, the stroke happened before the election. The stroke happened before the primary.
The people of Pennsylvania elected him to office knowing that he’d had a serious stroke.
Yeah dog. Welcome to representative politics. The primary was never even close. Stroke was a few days beforehand. His campaign talked up his recovery. Feel free to look up quotes about just needing surgery for a pacemaker and how he’d be fine. All the messaging stayed progressive; campaigns are run by staffers, so him being absent meant nothing for outward appearances. And who would progressives have voted for after he won the primary—Doctor Oz? Or should everyone have banded together to call the Fetrerman campaign liars and form a write in push for one of the primary losers? And risk losing Pennsylvania to DOCTOR OZ?!
Pennsylvanians were lied to and they have no true representation. But there’s no mechanism to fix that. You’re supposed to wait a couple years and just take what you get, because it’s more important that you follow the rules than it is to be heard. And that’s called democracy.
Politician finally tells the truth that should be the title
Fetterman accidentally tells the truth
Can’t really fault him, ive been making the same mistake thinking he was a lifelong republican all along as well.
Sorry, John, but this isn’t out of context.
“Accidentally”
He definitely said it accidentally. That doesn’t make it untrue.
Tldr:
“Let’s revisit after the midterms, and let’s see what happens – you know – if I happen to be 51,” said Fetterman, who was elected to the US Senate in 2022. “I don’t know.”
If he has to put an R by his name to block Dems, he’ll do it.
But the grift money for being the most conservative Dem is a shit ton more than being a random Republican.
So he’s not going to do it unless there’s a reason, and that would likely come with a lump sum bribe.
He’s advertising that he’d be for sale to all the billionaires who want trump to be unaccountable
Should be illegal to run as Democrat get elected then switch to other party. If you want to switch Should have to run as that party. If I lived in that state I be PISSED! ASSHOLE should be recalled. The fact that voters in Pennsylvania aren’t protesting at the capital demanding just that.
If the switched side ne would paraded around as the Spostate and then quickly forgotten
I don’t get why the Democrats don’t just boot him out of the party?
Because he takes all the blame while they all get to cash their bribe checks as well.
Because a new Congress is every 2 years and majorities matter a lot…
Like, what do you think the gain is from kicking him out of the party?
And who do you think should be in control of vetting politicians for the party?
I understand your frustrations, but you haven’t thought this thru
You guys need to burn Washington down and start over. Dumbest fucking political system ever.
Dumbest fucking political system ever.
What an ignorant thing to say…
Not even historically even, like, just present day has worse shit…
Because a dino still sits in a blue chair, and for them it can be all about the identity of the chairs in the room.
But yeah. If the numbers swing hard enough on the midterms he won’t need to choose sides because it’ll be safe enough that they can boot him now and primary him later.
“Accidentally”…
Either this guy’s brain was so deprived of oxygen that it’s now unable to lie, or - more likely - he’s sending not-so-subtle messages to his soon-to-be new political family.
His brain was so deprived of oxygen. Just five more seconds and he’d be a brain dead vegetable. Instead he’s got just enough brain function to be a Republican.
Also see: McConnelling.
Democrats winning 51 seats will not be enough to resist Trump. He will switch sides and vote maga the rest of his term.
Trump will just veto anything the Senate passes anyway. The real advantage to having a majority will be to be able to appoint the majority leader and also lead the various subcommittees. Plus it’ll better position the Democrats to take a larger majority in 2028 (which is also when Fetterman can be primaried.)
Yeah, exactly. I didn’t think anything would get passed.
There’s a decent chance that would lead to political violence against him.
One can only dream
