PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The long-awaited debate between the candidates for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania is scheduled for Tuesday night, and there is a lot to jam into the one-hour face-off.
The Senate handles some weighty matters: health care, social security, an abortion ban has been proposed. But the candidates so far have spent very little time discussing issues seriously.
Much of the campaign so far has been largely superficial and played for laughs. The best known moment so far was Republican candidate Mehmet Oz's shopping trip in search of vegetables for crudité, during which he mispronounced the name of grocery store chain Wegman's.
Every day, the campaigns of both Oz and Democratic candidate John Fetterman send a half-dozen or more emails to reporters. The subject lines are often ludicrous. Oz writes that Fetterman "forced Wawa out of Center City." Oz, meanwhile, wants people to pay higher food prices, according to Fetterman. Fetterman wants people not to have heat this winter, says Oz. One of the worst was from the Fetterman campaign: Oz, it said, killed puppies.
"I think one could argue there's a lack of substance in the campaign," said public affairs consultant Larry Ceisler. He says one reason for the lack of substance is the nature of the two candidates.
"Fetterman and Oz are more like brands. It's more about a vibe that people get," he said. "Fetterman is the everyman vibe. Oz is the guy you see on TV, and he's a celebrity."
Oz does events that work like his old TV show — guests arranged in a circle, as he moderates. Fetterman tells jokes about Oz's rich guy persona and his New Jersey mansion. Cesiler says that worked for a long time, but he believes, this close to the election, voters want more.
"We're getting down to brass tacks, and those tactics don't work anymore," he said.
Also, he thinks the fact that the two candidates haven't interacted, haven't been challenged by one another, has contributed.
"It's just throwing everything out there. The candidates get to say whatever they want, and it becomes a TV and a social media campaign," Ceisler said.
Whether the debate will change that is unknown. It will, at least, force the candidates to address substantive issues. But Ceisler thinks people will see what they want to see in the candidates. And coming this close to the election, "I don't think it's going to change much."
LISTEN LIVE: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m.
The only live statewide debate in Pennsylvania featuring Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz, vying for the U.S. Senate, is scheduled for Tuesday night at 8 p.m.
Listen to KYW Newsradio for the full debate. And stick around afterward for analysis from City Hall Bureau Chief Pat Loeb and anchor Steve Tawa.
