And although Oz faced a brutal, exhaustive, and expensive primary against David McCormick, seasoned political professionals tell me that Oz should have been filling that vacuum with rallies, events, advertising, handshaking, door knocking and mainly, you know, campaigning. Instead, around the time of the recount, Oz spent part of his time in Pennsylvania and the other part of the time in Palm Beach until at least June 9, waiting it out and doing some fundraising. His first post-primary event was June 10. Then, at the end of June, Oz flew off to Europe, specifically to Ireland, to see family until early July.

That, apparently, was one vacation too many. Indeed, it was a move that greatly annoyed the National Republican Senatorial Committee, I’m told, which has effectively and occasionally brilliantly been shepherding the campaigns of neophytes like Oz, Herschel Walker and J.D. Vance. (“Anyone making statements about the N.R.S.C. are either lying or mistaken,” said the group’s spokesperson, Chris Hartline.)

A recent Suffolk University poll now shows Fetterman leading Oz by 46 to 37 percent. Even Trump is complaining about Oz to Sean Hannity, who coaxed him to endorse the TV doctor, saying that he’s running a terrible campaign, even though Oz has some of the best political professionals TV money can buy, like Chris Hansen. “No one can believe that he took a damn vacation at the end of June, after only coming back to the state on June 10,” said a Republican strategist. “He screwed up with that video that was from his New Jersey house instead of Pennsylvania house. It’s really bad.”