I disagree with John Fetterman’s politics, but appreciate his willingness to speak out

By Matthew Gagnon

Last year, a ferocious battle was fought for control of the U.S. Senate, and for both parties the linchpin of success in that fight was Pennsylvania. 

If you got a few drinks into the establishment party bosses in the Democratic and Republican parties and then asked what they thought of their chances there, you likely would’ve heard great disappointment. Neither party really wanted the candidate they ended up with — John Fetterman for the Democrats, Mehmet Oz for the Republicans — and yet they were stuck with them. 

I was no fan of Oz. I was even less enthusiastic about Fetterman.

Much was made about his health problems — Fetterman famously had a stroke during the campaign and suffered cognitive challenges as a result — but my problems with Fetterman were more fundamental than that. At his core, he was an ill-informed socialist who appeared to me to be to the left of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on most issues, with only a superficial grasp of his own ideology. This was an easy guy for me to dislike.

The campaign was brutal and close, with both candidates looking like they were almost trying to lose. Pennsylvania voters had the unenviable task of deciding which of two bad options they would hold their nose for and pick. In the end, they chose Fetterman.

A funny thing has happened, though, since he was sworn in: I’ve kind of gotten to like the guy. 

Don’t misunderstand me; I have not suddenly become a socialist. I do not like or support his political philosophy, particularly his economic agenda. My brewing fascination with Pennsylvania’s newest senator has much more to do with who he is proving to be, rather than what he happens to believe.

You see, while I consider ideology and policy very important for evaluating a public servant, it is not the only thing. And in very important ways, Fetterman has been absolutely killing it lately.

My bromantic feelings began on Sept. 23, when Fetterman started breathing fire about a Democratic colleague of his in the Senate. The prior day, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez had been indicted for allegedly accepting bribes and using his Senate office to benefit the Egyptian government. “Senator Menendez should resign,” Fetterman said, making him the first senator of either party to make this demand. Yes, he beat the Republicans to the punch.

Then, on Nov. 10, I saw a clip of him walking by a group of anti-Israel protesters at the Capitol, waving a tiny Israeli flag. 

Then eight days later, as U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan continued to make headlines, even after her censure by the House for spreading Hamas propaganda, Fetterman was doing the opposite, reaffirming Israel’s right to exist and defend itself and calling the brutal Oct. 7 attack what it was — a terrorist attack.

As if that wasn’t enough, last week while appearing on “The View” Fetterman used the occasion of Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos being thrown out of Congress to renew his criticism of Menendez, deflecting a question about Santos by saying, “we have a colleague in the Senate that’s actually done much more sinister kinds of things … he needs to go.”

In each of these instances, you might think that my sudden affection for Fetterman is based on him agreeing with me. In reality, it has less to do with that, and more to do with what his actions represent.

The worst thing about politicians is the moral cowardice they show by not consistently applying their worldview when it conflicts with the demands of their partisan group or runs up against popular opinion.

Fetterman is a Democrat, and he was elevated to the Senate largely due to his far-left populist beliefs, which animated the activist, hyperprogressive base of his party. This group of activists is where the “anti-Israel left” originates, and it holds great power. By standing for what he believes and actively antagonizing this group, and by being the most visible critic of a senator in his own party, he is honestly standing up for principle over partisan allegiances.

This is remarkable and rare, and I appreciate it. Yes, I enjoy when he agrees with me, but more than that I respect when any politician exhibits this kind of behavior, demonstrating the kind of political independence and bravery that is necessary to look your friends directly in the eye and say, “I disagree.”

I still dislike and oppose nearly everything the man says, and I’m sure he will annoy me greatly very soon. But I’d rather disagree with a guy like Fetterman than a typical partisan hack, and for that I appreciate him.

Gagnon of Yarmouth is the chief executive officer of the Maine Policy Institute, a free market policy think tank based in Portland. A Hampden native, he previously served as a senior strategist for the Republican Governors Association in Washington, D.C.