Media dismisses DC fundraiser for California Senate seat after criticizing Dr. Oz as carpetbagger.
Engaging Paraphrase:
Dr. Mehmet Oz’s 2022 Senate campaign in Pennsylvania caused quite a stir when the media criticized his lack of local roots. However, it seems that the same media outlets have no problem with Laphonza Butler, a Democratic fundraiser from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., being appointed to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat in California.
Now: Butler, who lives and is registered to vote in Maryland, has been chosen as the president of Emily’s List, a powerful pro-abortion fundraising organization. Despite being born and raised in Mississippi and having gone to college there, the media is focusing on Butler’s identity as a black, gay, and female individual, as well as her decade-long involvement in California politics, including leading a union and working as a senior adviser on Vice President Kamala Harris’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.
Politico: “Butler, who is based in Washington and maintains close ties with Los Angeles …”
New York Times: “Ms. Butler, 44, has been a fixture in California politics for nearly 15 years as a former leader of the state’s largest labor union and an adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris.”
NBC News: “Butler’s professional career has been rooted in California, where she led SEIU Local 2015, the largest union in the state.”
Associated Press: “Butler has never held elected office but has a long track record in California politics.”
USA Today: “A spokesman said [Butler] owns a home in View Park, California and a place in LA where she will reside. She has already re-registered to vote in the state.”
Then: Dr. Oz, on the other hand, earned advanced degrees at the University of Pennsylvania and even had two children born in the state. He moved to Pennsylvania in 2020 and registered to vote there. However, the media seemed to support his Democratic opponent, Senator John Fetterman, who mocked him as a carpetbagger.
How did the Garden State – and the Jersey Shore – become a major issue in Pennsylvania’s crucial Senate race? Even Snooki has something to say about it. @abbydphillip and @jeffzeleny discuss whether voters are paying attention to John Fetterman’s Twitter trolling of Mehmet Oz. #InsidePolitics pic.twitter.com/K7KTO337Nj
— Inside Politics (@InsidePolitics) July 17, 2022
Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman turns to Snooki to mock opponent Dr. Oz.
Fetterman has criticized Oz’s decision to run for Senate in Pennsylvania after living in New Jersey for many years. https://t.co/knwUkFBMQO
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 15, 2022
Whoever is in charge of @JohnFetterman‘s campaign and decided to bring in the Jersey Shore’s own @snooki to troll Dr. Oz… I would love to meet you. @11thHour pic.twitter.com/aqivbFuzM4
— Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) July 16, 2022
New York Times: “The Campaign to Troll Dr. Oz for Living in New Jersey”:
Throughout the summer, Fetterman’s campaign successfully portrayed Oz not only as a wealthy and out-of-touch celebrity with weak ties to Pennsylvania but also as something even more despised both locally and nationally: a guy from New Jersey.
ABC News: “Where Dr. Oz Lives Becomes a Campaign Issue in Pennsylvania Senate Race”:
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, has faced a barrage of attacks from his opponent, Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, but the focus has been unusually fixated on just one topic: Oz’s place of residence.
Washington Post: “First Snooki, Now Little Steven: Fetterman Trolls Oz With NJ Celebrities”:
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, is using some of New Jersey’s most famous names to mock his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz, who is primarily known as a resident of the Garden State.
The relentless attacks on Oz’s outsider status, amplified by the media, may have ultimately cost him the election, as suggested by CBS News:
Experts believe that John Fetterman’s attack ads against Dr. Mehmet Oz, portraying him as an outsider from New Jersey, were successful. Throughout the campaign, Fetterman consistently targeted Oz’s connections to New Jersey on social media and in television advertisements.
Flash forward: Republican David McCormick, who recently announced his challenge against Pennsylvania’s other incumbent senator, Democrat Bob Casey, is already facing similar media scrutiny regarding his local ties.
Associated Press: “David McCormick Is Gearing Up for a Senate Run in Pennsylvania. But He Lives in Connecticut.”:
While McCormick does own a home in Pittsburgh, a review of public records, real estate listings, and recent interviews indicates that he still resides on Connecticut’s ”Gold Coast,” one of the wealthiest areas in America. The former hedge fund CEO rents a $16 million mansion in Westport, which boasts a 1,500-bottle wine cellar, an elevator, and a “private waterfront resort” overlooking Long Island Sound.
Further down in the report, the AP acknowledges that McCormick grew up in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, where his father served as a local college president. He left the state to attend West Point and later served as an officer in the Gulf War:
“Dave has considered Pennsylvania his home for 30 years and served our country outside of Pennsylvania for an additional 13,” stated a spokesperson for McCormick. ”It’s the place he sent letters back to while serving in Iraq and the place where three of his daughters were born.”
The spokesperson added, “While he maintains a residence in Connecticut as his daughters finish high school, Dave’s true home is in Pittsburgh, and for the past 10 years, he has owned a working farm in his hometown of Bloomsburg, which has been in the family for decades.”
What impact does labeling politicians as carpetbaggers have on their credibility and perception by the public?
Ion.
Unfortunately, this disparity in media treatment is all too common in today’s political landscape. It highlights a double standard when it comes to evaluating politicians based on their local roots and qualifications.
In Dr. Oz’s case, his opponents and the media scrutinized his ties to Pennsylvania, questioning his commitment to the state and its residents. Despite his educational background and personal connections to Pennsylvania, he was labeled as a carpetbagger and faced criticism for not having deep roots in the state.
On the other hand, Laphonza Butler, a Democratic fundraiser from Maryland, has been appointed to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat in California. Despite not having held elected office before and being registered to vote in another state, Butler has been praised for her involvement in California politics and her identity as a black, gay, and female individual. Her past roles in leading a union and working on Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign have also been highlighted.
This discrepancy in treatment raises questions about the media’s bias and the standards by which politicians are judged. Is it fair to hold one candidate to a higher standard based on their local roots while overlooking the same criteria for another candidate?
The media’s focus on Butler’s identity and background rather than her qualifications and experience in politics further perpetuates the idea that certain characteristics are more important than others when evaluating a candidate.
This double standard not only undermines the credibility of the media but also does a disservice to voters, who deserve objective and unbiased information to make informed decisions.
It is essential for the media to treat all candidates equally, evaluating them based on their qualifications, experience, and policies rather than their personal characteristics or geographic origins.
As voters, we must also challenge these double standards and demand fair and unbiased coverage of all candidates. It is our responsibility to critically analyze the information presented to us and make informed choices at the ballot box.
Only when we hold the media accountable and demand equal treatment for all candidates can we foster a truly inclusive and representative political landscape.
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