The debate that did not happen
On October 25, 2022, John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz met in their only debate for the Pennsylvania Senate seat. Fetterman, recovering from a stroke, struggled at times, and the performance dominated coverage.
Every Smattering story starts from a real event and goes exactly one step further. Here is the step, and the line we did not cross.
“People forget things all the time. Our whole field program is built on it.”
The real newsOct 25, 2022, Harrisburg, PA
Campaigns had to decide how to talk about the night. The real answer involved a lot of careful messaging.
The escalationOne step further
Our Democrats choose the simplest plan available. There was no debate. A three-line memo gives staff approved answers, starting with “Debate? What debate?”
Where we drew the line
We did not make fun of Fetterman’s health. The joke is the party strategy, and the officials in it are invented.
Read itThe story itself
The full piece is labeled as satire at the top and the bottom of the page. If you share it, share the link, so the label travels with the joke.
