Pennsylvania conservatives are not pleased with Trump endorsement
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It was a decision that left many dedicated Trump supporters perplexed. Why did he choose someone who had not resonated with conservatives in such a key state on the Senate map? Who whispered in his ear that this was a good idea?
“President Trump was very out of sync in picking Oz," said Dave Ball, chairman of the Washington County Republican Party. "I’d like to know who it is who lives in Pennsylvania that knows the voters well told Trump to pick Oz."
"I think that President Trump very, very seldom does anything that's not thought out and doesn't have a very reasoned and logical basis, but, for whatever reason, in this particular instance, he chose to ignore all of that and endorse Oz,” he said.
Ball says he fielded calls all day from conservatives unhappy with the former president’s decision. They complained about the reasons Trump gave — noting his celebrity status, Harvard credentials, New York Times bestseller status, and praise Oz had for the former president's health. “People have been calling me all day and asking, ‘What the hell was he thinking?’”
Trump's comment that “women, in particular, were drawn to Dr. Oz for his advice and counsel” didn’t sit well with many female Trump supporters who were interviewed.
“Five years ago, there were 13,000 more Democrats than Republicans in this county," he said. "And right now, there are 7,120 more Republicans than there are Democrats; that is an important number in a county that has a very suburban component in the Peters Township, North Strabane, Cecil Township area. We also have a very rural, agricultural region, as well as the Mon Valley, which is very blue-collar. In last November’s off-year election, we swept all nine row offices, the county commissioner race, and we have six state representatives, two state senators, and a congressman.”
Trump's decision didn't just shock many involved in the nuts and bolts of Pennsylvania Republican politics. It also shocked a lot of people on social media. Oz has been struggling in the polls since January despite the enormous amount of money he has spent on advertising. He gambled early that his celebrity status would drown out the other candidates in the race, including former Gulf War veteran and hedge fund manager David McCormick, political commentator Kathy Barnette, former ambassador Carla Sands, and real estate developer Jeff Bartos. But his expected advantage has not materialized.
Trump's Oz endorsement also came across as odd to a lot of former Trump confidantes who have either watched this race with interest or are working on the McCormick campaign. McCormick has risen in the polls since January, going from a virtual unknown outside of Pittsburgh or Bloomburg to the front-runner in the race, thanks to a lot of retail campaigning, handshaking, and a healthy influx of cash.
But none of that really matters at the end of the day; what does matter is how the conservative voters here feel about the endorsement. They will be the ones who ultimately decide what it means in the May 17 primary.
For Heather Wilhelm, it’s a nonstarter. “In talking to other conservative voters in my circles, there hasn't been a lot of support for Dr. Oz," she told me. "I think maybe the people Oz attracts are moderate voters.” |
