Fetterman’s campaign wouldn’t say how many debates he will commit to and dismissed Oz’s gambit as a sign of desperation.
While that’s a typical response for a front-runner, the questions about Fetterman’s health issues will complicate his ability to dismiss Oz’s challenge for multiple debates, said Christopher Borick, a pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.
“There is a degree of pressure for Fetterman to demonstrate that he’s ready to go. It doesn’t mean he has to agree with everything. But he’s going to have to debate Oz this fall,” he said. “I don’t think it’s highly salient in this campaign but given Fetterman’s health situation, he has to show he’s capable of occupying this role.”
Friday’s event will be the first open-press public event in which voters and reporters will have an opportunity to assess his recovery.
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