Predictable, but still dumb. And maybe predictably dumb, given recent choices by Democrats in Virginia and elsewhere.
Democrats vociferously defended John Fetterman's candidacy after a serious stroke in 2022 rendered him unable to campaign for much of the cycle. Fetterman won the general election against Mehmet Oz, and Democrats rejoiced, claiming that common sense had prevailed over MAGA 'extremism.' However, when that argument became much more accurate than they realized -- especially in Fetterman's firm stance on Israel -- suddenly common sense fell out of favor on the Left.
Now, Axios reports that Democrats have begun plotting a primary campaign to oust Fetterman in his first re-election bid:
Top Democrats in Pennsylvania are maneuvering to run against Sen. John Fetterman in a 2028 primary contest, threatening to tear the party apart in the biggest battleground state in the nation.
Why it matters: Democrats haven't flipped a GOP Senate seat since Fetterman did it in 2022. He's still popular with Pennsylvania voters, even as Democrats turn on him over his softened approach to President Trump.
- Potential Democratic challengers are already bashing Fetterman — and each other — years ahead of schedule.
- Some Democratic officials are openly contemplating running against Fetterman or keeping the door open to a Senate bid in the event he retires.
Yes, this seems like a brilliant idea. Why not run a divisive internecine fight in Pennsylvania -- in 2028? Nothing else important will be on the ballot, right? Oh, wait -- nothing else other than a presidential election, in a swing state that Democrats can't afford to lose.
What could go wrong?
Well ... maybe nothing, if Democrats are dumb enough to run Kamala Harris as their nominee again. Or Gavin Newsom. Or pretty much anyone other than Josh Shapiro or Fetterman himself. They'd lose the state anyway, but perhaps only in the presidential election. By engineering a bitter party split between centrists and radicals, the Pennsylvania Democrats would all but hand over the Keystone State to the GOP, likely making J.D. Vance the next president of the United States regardless of their own nominee, but also deal a blow to their down-ticket aspirations in 2028. Starting this kind of party-purity campaign now might even bleed into next year's midterms and statewide constitutional elections.
And for what? Based on the voting record compiled by GovTrack, Fetterman falls ideologically in the middle-left of his Senate caucus in the previous Congress (118th Session, January 2023-January 2025). Their scoring system ranks Senators based on both votes and sponsorships of bills. The scale descends from 1.00 as the most rightward position in the Senate (Rick Scott of Florida) to 0.00 as the most leftward (unsurprisingly, Bernie Sanders of Vermont). Fetterman ranked 84th with a score of 0.20; the closest Republican to Fetterman was Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, with a 0.52. Adam Schiff scored a 0.53, for comparison, and Chuck Schumer was 15 places to the right of Fetterman at #69 with a score of 0.33.
Despite the common perception, Fetterman votes mainly with his own party, and is certainly more inclined to do so than at least half, if not more, of his present caucus. But this isn't about Fetterman's voting record, and everyone knows it, inside of Pennsylvania and outside as well. This is about Fetterman's character -- as in, Fetterman has character, and radical Democrats resent it. His remarks about demagogues on the Left at the Kennedy Center demonstrate the actual objections to Fetterman from the Left:
John Fetterman brings the Kennedy Center to complete silence as he delivers this emotional message on stage:
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) October 16, 2025
“I know and I love people who voted for President Trump. They are NOT fascists, they’re NOT Nazis, they’re NOT trying to destroy the Constitution.”
“I REFUSE to call… pic.twitter.com/f9U8tnYlJy
If Democrats continue to push Fetterman out of the party, he could end up obliging them by crossing the aisle. It's been suggested repeatedly since the October 7 massacre and Fetterman's support for Israel set him apart from the radical Left. As the Govtrack data shows, it would not be a good fit for Fetterman based on his voting record, nor on his professed agenda. However, it might be a haven for Fetterman politically, and perhaps a body blow to Pennsylvania Democrats who are targeting him only because he refuses to participate in the radical demagoguery that his party's leadership not only indulges but endorses and curates. He could also run as an independent, splitting the Democrat vote on the 2028 ballot and making a seat flip in PA much more likely than a Democrat hold after a primary mutiny.
If Democrats are doubling down on despicable in Virginia, they're about to split sixes in Pennsylvania out of spite. It's sheer idiocy on top of toxic demagoguery.
Editor’s Note: Every single day, here at Hot Air, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve. Sometimes, however, we just point and laugh, and let the radical Left embarrass itself. This is one of those times.
Help us continue to point, laugh, and expose the idiocy of progressive elites. Join Hot Air VIP and use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member