“We’re definitely going to discuss Dr. Oz, and that’s really always been our intention to do that,” Fetterman told Politico. “It was just about just addressing some of the long-standing issues of stroke, auditory processing, and we’re going to be able to solve that.” a “mid to late October” debate with Oz, his Republican opponent in the race for the seat currently held by retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey. Here’s why Fetterman’s decision to debate — and not delay announcing that decision — makes good political sense for him.

  1. The issue was not going away. Fetterman was off the campaign trail for about three months — from mid-May when he suffered the stroke until August, when he began campaigning publicly again. That’s a BIG deal for someone who wants to be a senator — and of course it raises questions about whether he’s qualified for the job he’s running for. It may be an uncomfortable conversation, but you can be sure that many Pennsylvania voters have doubts about Fetterman’s health after the stroke. Sometime between now and November, he has to prove he’s up to the rigors of a campaign and serving in office. So it’s best to face these questions head-on — and at a time and place of his choosing. 2) He was on the defensive. Fetterman, despite being out of the campaign for several months, has done an exceptionally good job of keeping Oz off balance — using social media (mostly) to drive the day-to-day conversation in the race. Whether it’s Snooki (of “Jersey Shore”) trolling Oz about his residency or making hay out of Oz’s rage over the cost of a “crudité” platter, Fetterman has proven that you don’t have to be physically out from the campaign to play attack in a match. But recently, he had lost that momentum — thanks in large part to questions about his health created by his reluctance to talk. Oz, who had been trying to find a problem of any real significance to make a move on Fetterman, finally found one. For Fetterman, it’s best to rule this out in the first place, before Oz creates another dynamic.
  2. Now he can paint himself as a sympathetic figure. Fetterman would do well to paint his ongoing struggles to recover from his stroke in the larger context of Pennsylvanians struggling with health challenges themselves. Fetterman can generate enormous sympathy — and empathy — by portraying himself (as he has throughout the race to date) as a regular Pennsylvanian doing his best to get through the day , even when faced with adverse conditions. He should make sure that anyone watching the potential discussion knows that he continues to have some ongoing issues related to his stroke and that his performance is unlikely to be perfect. And that he gets better with each passing day, but that, sometimes, it’s a struggle. People like to vote for someone they think really understands their life — the good and the bad. To be clear: This one decision does not win Fetterman the fight. But it takes an important issue off the table for Oz and, assuming Fetterman does an admirable job of debating it, makes Oz’s questions about his health harder to stick.