Even ahead of the upcoming Nov 8 midterm elections, rampant crime is already taking a toll on Democratic candidates. Now, some of the damage is being inflicted by members of their own party.
That dynamic was underscored on Friday when Philadelphia Democrat Tom Knox endorsed Republican senatorial candidate Mehmet Oz in the tightly-contested race for U.S. Senate pitting Oz against Democrat John Fetterman.
“I am a lifelong Democrat,” said Knox. “I have met with John Fetterman, and I personally like him. But I am sad to say, as a resident of Philadelphia, that our city has become increasingly dangerous, and John Fetterman’s policies on crime will make things much worse.”
Knox is a former deputy mayor of Philadelphia under prominent Democrat Ed Rendell. He’s since run for the mayor’s office himself, as well as the governor’s mansion.
“I love Philadelphia, and I am saddened by what is happening to it,” said Knox. “I am encouraging Democrats who share my concerns with Fetterman’s long-standing policies to put party affiliation aside and support Dr. Oz for U.S. Senate. Dr. Oz is smart, hard working, and a man of integrity who will work tirelessly to make our streets and city safe once again.”
The RealClearPolitics poll average for the race shows a significant tightening since the summer. Fetterman’s August lead of 8.7% has been sliced in half — to 4.3%. However, RealClearPolitics notes that, going back to 2016, similar polls have underestimated GOP support by 5.5%. Applying that factor, Oz may actually be up 1.2%.
On Oct 4, the Cook Political Report moved the race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up.” Bloomberg credits a barrage of crime-themed ads by the Oz campaign for the erosion of Fetterman’s support, and the Daily Beast‘s Eleanor Clift notes that Fetterman’s negative ratings have leapt by 17 points since the ad blitz began in August.
Oz should WIN in a Landslide against the Enemy Democrat !!!!
Fetterman should be in Prison !!!