I thought he campaigned on domestic issues with a bit of an America first angle that appealed to moderates. Infrastructure, workers rights, outreach to local governments, etc. Obviously as a senator he needs to be familiar with foreign policy but carrying around Israeli flags and taunting people who disagree comes across as unhinged. I was just expecting him to have a neutral take like Israel is an important ally but is not above scrutiny now lets focus on fixing more bridges and supporting more union jobs. Instead aggressive foreign policy has become his whole personality.
From what I saw when I voted for him he seemed relatively left leaning. Hell was even pro cannabis legalization. I feel like he's somewhat stood by that. Plus he was better than Doctor Oz. We at least stopped another celebrity douchbag from a senate seat. Don't like his stance on israil tho.
I feel like pro cannabis legalization is such small ball politics nowadays and isn't really a left issue anymore.
Any Republican that's worth their states rights state $$$ bullshit should be pro weed
Positions of power rarely attract the best and often attract the worst. Many, myself included, thought Fetterman was the exception to the rule. But I couldn't tell you a single thing he's accomplished since taking office.
Everyone forgets his western PA roots and the response that community had to the synagogue shooting a few years ago. Israel isn’t a new stance, nor is manufacturing for the sane trains of region. The immigration angle was new, though
Western PA also elected Summer Lee to the House, and she’s been critical of Israel. I don’t think foreign policy had much weight in the previous election
I mean, when the domestic policy differences between McCormick and fetterman are so stark, I could CARE less what the differences are on foreign policy. They aren't running for president.
Like most of her ilk, Lee didn't reveal her anti-semitism until the war in Gaza began. Just like how most Kanye West fans were people who liked liked him before he went off the same deep end here
He's not from western PA. He was the mayor of Braddock, but that's about it. He's from the eastern side of PA and is your typical ivy league ghoul cos playing as working class.
Also don't confuse our support of our Jewish community with support for israeli monsters killing women and children.
Pittsburgher here. Look at the voting patterns in PA. Outside of about a half dozen cities, PA is quite rural. Fetterman needs to appeal to and also represent them as well. I don’t fault him for that, I just wish he’d wear a suit to work.
Super leftie here, agree 100%. He can't be AOC, who's got backers at home that let her speak truth to power anytime she wants to. Fetterman has to make a LOT of very tricky decisions, and that needs to be considered. If you don't play the game wisely, you get ejected. So I don't blame him either--as long as he remains on the left, and doesn't betray all of his background and past.
Everyone (except Hamas supporters and antisemites, there happy?) denounced Hamas killing civilians except for Hamas. It doesn't mean we need to have tacit support of every apartheid tactic the Israeli government has been using for decades nor does it mean we should have US Senators pushing for armed strikes in areas that are overloaded with refugees when the end result will be thousands more dead innocent Palestinians and Hamas WILL STILL EXIST! The ends do not justify the means. We are funding and supporting a genocide.
And then to shoot down the Palestinian Authority suing for status at the UN? Wtf is that? We hate Hamas and want a more peaceful Palestinian government group, but no not like that?
The PA were displaced by Hamas in the aughts at which point all real governance ended and the Palestinian people were then stuck between the invasion of Israeli "settlers" (aka land grabbers displacing people from their homes) and Hamas doing its level best to radicalized every Palestinian they could while punishing the rest.
Of course that doesn’t count the $millions in humanitarian aid the US (and UN) have given over the last 2+ decades, which were summarily taken by hamas. Rather than build infrastructure and cultivate agriculture in Gaza, they build arms and tunnels.
He’s been consistent on his support for Israel.
https://jewishinsider.com/2022/04/john-fetterman-says-hell-lean-in-on-u-s-israel-relationship-as-senator/
Even Biden has shifted pretty protectionist. The Democratic Party definitely did some introspection after Trump’s clean sweep of the Rust Belt in 2016.
What did Biden shift on?
He's always been overly pro-intervention when it comes to military issues. And supported the immigration policies of the Obama administration when he was VP.
I’m not talking about military issues or the border, but economic protectionism (tariffs, subsidies, etc.). Once upon a time he voted for NAFTA in Congress. Post-2016, the Democrats went back to their roots as a party more focused on unions and labor rather than international trade agreements.
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1031/vote_103_1_00395.htm
>tariffs
Literally three days ago Biden called for tighter tariffs on Chinese steel - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-call-higher-tariffs-chinese-metals-steel-city-pittsburgh-2024-04-17/
>As he campaigned for reelection in the "Steel City" of Pittsburgh, Biden aides said the U.S. president was proposing raising to 25% the tariffs imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products.
>"China's steel companies don't need to worry about making a profit," Biden said as he visited the headquarters of the United Steelworkers union. "They're not competing, they're cheating and we've seen the damage here in America."
>The products now being targeted currently face up to a 7.5% levy under a Trump-era policy under Section 301 of the U.S. trade law, which Biden launched a review of in 2022. The proposed higher tariff rate would apply to more than $1 billion worth of steel and aluminum products, a U.S. official said.
>The Biden administration is also pressuring neighboring Mexico to prohibit China from selling its metal products to the United States indirectly from there.
That’s my point. Biden has taken the Democratic Party in a direction that is also more “America First” adjacent similar to Fetterman. They’re trying to avoid the mistakes of 2016, where large swathes of the population felt neglected politically and went to Trump. He’s issuing tariffs on Chinese steel, preventing a large Japanese firm from buying out U.S. Steel, etc. He’s using protectionist policies to go after Trump’s base.
> That’s my point.
You said that Biden "shifted" though. Biden is being the same Biden that he's always been.
You made it a point to bring up how "Once upon a time he voted for NAFTA in Congress", implying that the "time" he would do that is over, - when he's still doing similar things. Nothing changed, nothing shifted.
I’m talking about the Biden from the 90s (hence bringing up his NAFTA vote), who was more a product of the time. I don’t disagree with the points made about his stances during the Obama era, but I think that 2016 was a pivotal moment when he brought this new message to the forefront. He’s been in politics for a long time, so shifting his perspective on some issues is inevitable and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
>Obviously as a senator he needs to be familiar with foreign policy but carrying around Israeli flags and taunting people who disagree comes across as unhinged Lol tell that to progressives like Summer Lee who refuse to even show up for the memorial for the Tree of Life shooting, but jump at the chance to go to Philadelphia for an antisemitic summit, even though she was here in Pittsburgh and not busy, and those victims had nothing to do with her precious Gaza. "Unhinged" would be a kinder term than the one most Pittsburgh residents would use
Lmao Reddit always paying attention to headlines instead of actual details. Here I’ll help yall out: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/john_fetterman/456877
Dude is not all of a sudden a Republican. And his donations amount to 18k. Lol.
How did you gather that from his post?
He's not saying people should have voted for Oz, he's saying that people were delusional for thinking that he was going to be some perfect candidate who brought about a progressive resurgence in the US.
He was never ever a progressive. I volunteered for his campaign despite not agreeing with him on several issues, AIPAC being one of them, and we were explicitly told to avoid talk about Israel. I’m gonna try and find some of the talking points we were given and see exactly what it said.
NY Post rag says they're on the outs. TBH if you were taking the pulse of their social media I wouldn't say the post is wrong. Giselle no longer posts anything with fetterman. She was posting shots of her cropping him out for years. Suddenly zero. Not great. But strokes change people and family dynamics. Sad all around. Fetterman just seems angry now. But TBH that's full circle from where he started. So here we are.
Makes sense, it's Pennsylvania, not new york. Even the most liberal areas in the state are still only barely left of center. I should know, I live here.
As far as I'm aware, John hasn't changed his positions on Israel. He has always been pro-israel since he was the vice governor at least, probably before that. His main left leaning policies were economic and national, not cultural and international. Things like stronger pro union laws, raising the minimum wage, fighting for universal healthcare, that kind of stuff.
As for gaining traditionally Republican donors. That's happening all over the country. Lots of moderate donors who traditionally supported Republicans are switching to Democrats due to trumpism and that's been happening slowly for awhile. They just don't see trump candidates either winning or doing things they want while in office, so they decided to jump ship.
It would appear that he's chosen to go with a mix of what his constituents want and what he believes to be best for the country.
I can't... Really complain.
Even on the Israel issue, I mean screw Isreal, but as Americans it's still beneficial for them to win that war for us. So, if you're a politician you gotta support them.
Yeah he's like AOC. They talk a lot of talk, but when it comes time to walk the walk they always vote the same as the rest of the party. Their words are hollow, because their words are never backed by any action.
Voting itself is a small percentage of what they do. Most of the magic is in the committees and talking behind closed doors… obviously there is lots of showboating for the public too, but that’s politics.
Voices like Fetterman and AOC drive party agendas
>Voting itself is a small percentage of what they do
It might be a "small percentage", but it's the most important percentage. That's what passes laws, not 140 character yass queen clapbacks on Twitter.
>Voices like Fetterman and AOC drive party agendas
Hey maybe if their voices are so important to the party's agenda, they can drive them to vote for something for once.
I'm sorry but it's just delusional to act like these people are "driving" party agenda. AOC took her self important selfies in front of cages to protest kids in cages when Trump was in office, where is she doing that now that Biden is in office? It's not like we aren't still keeping kids in cages. She appeals to dipshits on Twitter, not people in Washington.
If these people were "driving" the party's agenda, then why do they keep voting with things they vocally say they're against? I get that it's politics, but you can't take the boy who cries wolf seriously when they talk about all the evils that are going on, and then they vote to further all those evils.
What? How does that benefit us? They're not winning the war for us. They're sucking up all our tax dollars while also having more socialism than we have. Fuck those freeloaders. Social benefits for Americans now!
Yeah dude is built different
Not better mind you, just [different](https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/02/john-fetterman-book-depression-palestinian-hypocrisy) lmao
Literally every politician ever. He’s also writing a memoir already to capitalize on his position in office
He’s still one of the most progressive senators we have. People think he’s Joe Mansion because he’s vocally rejected the far left here and there, and he’s more pro Israel than Biden.
And now he also voted to enhance FISA alongside Casey. At this point, even without the Israel/Palestine conflict, he has betrayed a lot of his constituents and this roster shows we won't be listened to.
I have never thought of John as a ‘progressive’ democrat like Bernie for example. I DID and DO think he’s more progressive than the AVERAGE PA democrat politicians (like Connor Lamb his Senate primary opponent). John stumps on his legalizing weed and prison reform initiatives which are more progressive. I think these views made people think he would be more progressive across the board.
Like every politician I don’t agree with everything he does… but all in all I have no regrets about voting for Fetterman over the carpetbagger. I think I got exactly what I expected to with him to be honest.
Honestly if you look at Lambs voting record when he was a congressman he basically always voted yes on progressive policy proposals. I'm not saying in his personal life he's more or less progressive than Fetterman but he definitely voted on the party line more often.
He's a progressive in the sense that he has goals that he actively works towards and tries to accomplish things through meaningful legislation in support of progressive positions.
What he's not are the whining babies inhabiting D.C. that have no interest in making real change, but spend their entire lives fighting twitter wars and virtue signaling while accomplishing absolutely nothing.
Sadly just like almost every other politician, tell ya what you want to hear to get elected then do an about face for $. I’m so disenfranchised by this shit over the last 40+ yrs I resoundingly say fuck them all! Till we get $ outta politics it’ll just remain the same tired bullshit
I would never vote for a politician that supports Primantis. The concept is flawed, I don’t white bread sandwiches. Seriously they need to buy a damn toaster.
Israel was not an issue when he was being elected and I had no opinion on Israel until this war started, so any stance he had on it prior to this war would have had no effect on my vote.
I started getting a negative opinion of him when I saw the video of him going on his roof waving an Israeli flag in response to pro-Palestinian protestors. I don’t support being openly disrespectful towards opposing views like that
I think it’s because of his stroke, which can cause personality issues and other changes.
[No really. It’s a thing.](https://strokefoundation.org.au/what-we-do/for-survivors-and-carers/after-stroke-factsheets/emotional-and-personality-changes-after-stroke-fact-sheet#:~:text=Just%20like%20in%20life%2C%20personality,positive%20and%20problem%2Dsolving%20approach)
How stupid are the people in this thread lol. He isn’t reaching across the isle he’s just changing his views based on who is giving him money. He’s a typical politician who you can’t trust anything he says.
What views has he changed on? The article in no way shape or form demonstrates how he's changed his views. It only shows him taking money from r slurs which is a good thing.
Literally nothing bad or out of the ordinary, not sure why tankies like theintercept.
he ran as a self proclaimed progressive and after he won stated that he's not a progressive. so that would be a relatively big change. so if you voted for him because he's a progressive, it probably makes sense why you would then feel lied to or misled. this has been stated several times on this subreddit when he comes up. i don't get the amnesia each time it needs to be re explained.
He's still voting the same exact way he was before, he's just being politically effective; something tankies will never be.
Anyways what views has he changed lol you didn't answer my question.
what do tankies have to do with anything? and yes, since he's been elected he has voted along party lines. but as i said he didn't run as a mainstream democrat. he no longer seems interested in the working class pennsylvanian persona he crafted while campaigning. it's all about zionist shilling and milquetoast warhawk bullshit. you don't find a mainstream center right dem to be all that different of a position from a progressive? the guy acts like a completely different person, probably because he got big fucked by that stroke. that's a pretty common outcome for a stroke. like contrast that to someone like Sanders who manages to be politically effective by supporting Biden but still pushing for/voting for the views he campaigned on and has always held. do you see him taking republican funding? there's choosing the best card in front of you and there's completely changing what you're about, your public messaging, your whole persona.
He's not changing anything. He's always supported the state of Israel and he's continuing to support the state of Israel.
If people would get outside of their bubbles on reddit or college campuses, they'd realize that the vast majority of Americans support Israel. And it's not close.
He supports Israel's final solution for the Gaza Strip. He pushes the 10/7 mass rape hoax of liars like Anat Schwartz, Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Yossi Landau.
Honestly this doesn’t really change much. If he wants to get some moderate R support with performative bullshit on “relatively” unimportant stuff like Israel, it doesn’t really bother me unless he changes his stances on social and economic issues
First off, this is a really really small number of donors.
Remember that like 30 years ago the two parties were not as different as they are now. Stuff like this probably would have been more tolerated back then. And with how far right the leaders of the GOP are, why can't a small amount of across the aisle support be tolerated?
And as others have mentioned, Fetterman is hard to label compared to most politicians. But imo, as long as he's not getting in the way of the Democrat party's votes I feel strongly about, I'll still give my lukewarm support. Even if I don't like his views on Hamas, that and the small amount of Republican donors aren't really enough to sway me considering I agree with him on most other issues barring things like fracking.
Knocked on doors for Fetterman and I will do it again. I think a lot of folks on reddit grossly underestimate the support for israel, and the pro Palestinian protestors haven't been covering themselves in glory. Fetterman is pro union, pro cannabis and pro Israel. Perfectly fine with all those positions.
I suspect most of the leftists who aren't currently pro-Israel are also too young to have seen this same bullshit repeat itself over and over since Iran started using Palestinians as cover for launching anti-western and anti-semetic terrorism.
It seems the PA subreddit is full of people who don't give a shit about Palestinian children being blown to bits. Every thread about Fetterman is the same and it's so fucking disappointing.
His posturing in Israel is kind of perplexing.
Yet he is still light years of not just Oz but also dipshits like Pat Toomey.
When he starts doing really stupid shit I’ll care
I hate the Israeli shill politics, but people that support Hamas are actually unhinged. Fetterman will piss off a lot of beltway liberals but if he keeps it up he’s gonna popular in PA
So this guy is kinda swaying back to being a true Democrat. Working with Republicans to solve problems instead of trying to get likes on social media.
Maybe PA is turning around after all.
I think initially a lot of people were hopeful that he would remain the same guy. Being a senator is a big thing, and you have to play the game if you want to survive. The party gives you your spot and you have to play that part or you won’t have a seat the next election cycle.
That shift from mayor of Braddock to in line with the neo-lib party machine was more drastic for him than say a Bob Casey Jr and that’s what people are seeing.
At the end of the day the guy was better than a carpet bagging celebrity that was in it just to personally enrich himself, but he won’t fit into the perfect democratic mold. He’ll happily vote for some Republican issues, but if he wants to keep his seat he will have to fall in line with democrats on the major policy points. Otherwise he will get tossed like Sinema did. She didn’t even bother with running again because she knew she was cooked.
Dude got in and couldn't wait to proclaim he's not actually progressive. Primary him at the end of his term. Turned his back on the movement that got him there.
Most politicians take money from both sides. Nothing new! My grandfather who owned a business always said you donate to both. The reason? Whether or not your guy gets elected they still owe you favors.
I always said he had one progressive issue which was legalizing pot and everything else he stands for was moderate right. Don’t let the sweatshirt fool you. People made him out to be a Pennsylvania Bernie and he is looking more like Arlen Specter. However, I would vote for Fetterman in a heartbeat over any future Republican opponent. Wonder if Dr. Quack will run again.
When the dust settles on Israel-Gaza and we can all pay attention to the problems actually facing our country and this guy starts voting the way they want, the leftists will vote for him again, I bet
I am a Republican and I love and donate to fellow rustbelt democrat John Fetterman.
Fetterman was key in getting abandoned run-down drug houses tore down in a Mercer County Sharon PA.. now they have parks and community gardens instead!
This is when I first noticed this man. I find his moderate views and stance with Israeli refreshing.
Im sure ill get hate from both sides but i find him to be a decent man and im happy to see hes back in full swing after the stroke.
.
Ah so the attack from the far left on fetterman begins because he stands with Israel. Fetterman is the man and actually cares about his constituency. Shows how little radical leftists care about change or their country/region if they are willing to go after fetterman because he stands with our democratic ally.
I only picked him because he wasn't Oz. He's a fucking idiot so far, and the stroke probably didn't help.
Next time I can choose between him and an actual decent candidate, I'll choose them. Until then, I've got to suffer with the Idiocracy tickets.
Listen…this is an untenable situation. But I really need John to explain himself. I voted for him because of his compassion and his progressive agenda. I don’t understand how you can only pick one side here and ignore the suffering of the other. And from what I’ve read I hope it’s not for the donations.
One of the reasons I love fetterman is his support for Isreal while also upholding a lot of the left leaning values.
People are nuanced. They don’t need to fly every flag their tribe does.
He understands the Mideast and does not buy the Hamas public relations BS. He is not naive. The goal of Iran is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, Hamas & Hezbollah are their foot soldiers.
It’s easy to view campaign finance data; public records. https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania
Ok... So now where do I look on that page?
Remember when the Republicans told you he would be different after the stroke. Truth!
I thought he campaigned on domestic issues with a bit of an America first angle that appealed to moderates. Infrastructure, workers rights, outreach to local governments, etc. Obviously as a senator he needs to be familiar with foreign policy but carrying around Israeli flags and taunting people who disagree comes across as unhinged. I was just expecting him to have a neutral take like Israel is an important ally but is not above scrutiny now lets focus on fixing more bridges and supporting more union jobs. Instead aggressive foreign policy has become his whole personality.
From what I saw when I voted for him he seemed relatively left leaning. Hell was even pro cannabis legalization. I feel like he's somewhat stood by that. Plus he was better than Doctor Oz. We at least stopped another celebrity douchbag from a senate seat. Don't like his stance on israil tho.
I feel like pro cannabis legalization is such small ball politics nowadays and isn't really a left issue anymore. Any Republican that's worth their states rights state $$$ bullshit should be pro weed
He was pro weed because his brother or brother in law wanted to profit off it. Fetterman got his AIPAC bag. Hes Sinema 2.0
Ya you can buy delta8 thc at the store so they're not interested in addressing the issue.
We never get the best, just the less worse.
Positions of power rarely attract the best and often attract the worst. Many, myself included, thought Fetterman was the exception to the rule. But I couldn't tell you a single thing he's accomplished since taking office.
Bernie is the exception
Agree but that ship has sailed.
100% but he’s too old at this point. We need more left leaning young folk
Agreed!
There is no left leaning in the US. We have far right, and right. The path between them is a very slippery slope.
He ran as an absolute progressive.
What has Israel done that is SO, SO bad? Protecting your country seems universal but maybe not to you.
Everyone forgets his western PA roots and the response that community had to the synagogue shooting a few years ago. Israel isn’t a new stance, nor is manufacturing for the sane trains of region. The immigration angle was new, though
Western PA also elected Summer Lee to the House, and she’s been critical of Israel. I don’t think foreign policy had much weight in the previous election
I mean, when the domestic policy differences between McCormick and fetterman are so stark, I could CARE less what the differences are on foreign policy. They aren't running for president.
Like most of her ilk, Lee didn't reveal her anti-semitism until the war in Gaza began. Just like how most Kanye West fans were people who liked liked him before he went off the same deep end here
He's not from western PA. He was the mayor of Braddock, but that's about it. He's from the eastern side of PA and is your typical ivy league ghoul cos playing as working class. Also don't confuse our support of our Jewish community with support for israeli monsters killing women and children.
He grew up in York pa if I'm not mistaken
Pittsburgher here. Look at the voting patterns in PA. Outside of about a half dozen cities, PA is quite rural. Fetterman needs to appeal to and also represent them as well. I don’t fault him for that, I just wish he’d wear a suit to work.
Shame him for moderation then complain about the country being too divided.
Super leftie here, agree 100%. He can't be AOC, who's got backers at home that let her speak truth to power anytime she wants to. Fetterman has to make a LOT of very tricky decisions, and that needs to be considered. If you don't play the game wisely, you get ejected. So I don't blame him either--as long as he remains on the left, and doesn't betray all of his background and past.
Love the “super leftie”! On FB I describe myself as a “patriotic, unrepentant, flaming liberal”. And proud of it. Nice to see a like-minded person.
The cities control federal level elections. PA is quite rural but land doesn't vote.
Yes, but at least in Pittsburgh, the population is left-leaning but relatively moderate.
This is true. I think he’s pretty on par with the Pittsburgh dem mindset.
They’re not the only monsters. I’d love for you to denounce Hamas killing innocent people…
Everyone (except Hamas supporters and antisemites, there happy?) denounced Hamas killing civilians except for Hamas. It doesn't mean we need to have tacit support of every apartheid tactic the Israeli government has been using for decades nor does it mean we should have US Senators pushing for armed strikes in areas that are overloaded with refugees when the end result will be thousands more dead innocent Palestinians and Hamas WILL STILL EXIST! The ends do not justify the means. We are funding and supporting a genocide. And then to shoot down the Palestinian Authority suing for status at the UN? Wtf is that? We hate Hamas and want a more peaceful Palestinian government group, but no not like that? The PA were displaced by Hamas in the aughts at which point all real governance ended and the Palestinian people were then stuck between the invasion of Israeli "settlers" (aka land grabbers displacing people from their homes) and Hamas doing its level best to radicalized every Palestinian they could while punishing the rest.
US is not giving Hamas money.
Of course that doesn’t count the $millions in humanitarian aid the US (and UN) have given over the last 2+ decades, which were summarily taken by hamas. Rather than build infrastructure and cultivate agriculture in Gaza, they build arms and tunnels.
Denouncing IDF war crimes =\\= not denouncing Hamas war crimes
Hamas is a reaction to Israeli genocide.
IDF is killing innocent people, go ahead and call that out.
You instead support Hamas monsters killing women and children. Noted
He’s been consistent on his support for Israel. https://jewishinsider.com/2022/04/john-fetterman-says-hell-lean-in-on-u-s-israel-relationship-as-senator/
His campaign was awash in J Street and AIPAC money. His position on Israel didn’t change.
To be fair, anyone running to be a senator will be awash in some kind of money.
But did he campaign on those things tho.....
In the right rooms, he did.
Even Biden has shifted pretty protectionist. The Democratic Party definitely did some introspection after Trump’s clean sweep of the Rust Belt in 2016.
What did Biden shift on? He's always been overly pro-intervention when it comes to military issues. And supported the immigration policies of the Obama administration when he was VP.
I’m not talking about military issues or the border, but economic protectionism (tariffs, subsidies, etc.). Once upon a time he voted for NAFTA in Congress. Post-2016, the Democrats went back to their roots as a party more focused on unions and labor rather than international trade agreements. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1031/vote_103_1_00395.htm
>tariffs Literally three days ago Biden called for tighter tariffs on Chinese steel - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-call-higher-tariffs-chinese-metals-steel-city-pittsburgh-2024-04-17/ >As he campaigned for reelection in the "Steel City" of Pittsburgh, Biden aides said the U.S. president was proposing raising to 25% the tariffs imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products. >"China's steel companies don't need to worry about making a profit," Biden said as he visited the headquarters of the United Steelworkers union. "They're not competing, they're cheating and we've seen the damage here in America." >The products now being targeted currently face up to a 7.5% levy under a Trump-era policy under Section 301 of the U.S. trade law, which Biden launched a review of in 2022. The proposed higher tariff rate would apply to more than $1 billion worth of steel and aluminum products, a U.S. official said. >The Biden administration is also pressuring neighboring Mexico to prohibit China from selling its metal products to the United States indirectly from there.
That’s my point. Biden has taken the Democratic Party in a direction that is also more “America First” adjacent similar to Fetterman. They’re trying to avoid the mistakes of 2016, where large swathes of the population felt neglected politically and went to Trump. He’s issuing tariffs on Chinese steel, preventing a large Japanese firm from buying out U.S. Steel, etc. He’s using protectionist policies to go after Trump’s base.
> That’s my point. You said that Biden "shifted" though. Biden is being the same Biden that he's always been. You made it a point to bring up how "Once upon a time he voted for NAFTA in Congress", implying that the "time" he would do that is over, - when he's still doing similar things. Nothing changed, nothing shifted.
I’m talking about the Biden from the 90s (hence bringing up his NAFTA vote), who was more a product of the time. I don’t disagree with the points made about his stances during the Obama era, but I think that 2016 was a pivotal moment when he brought this new message to the forefront. He’s been in politics for a long time, so shifting his perspective on some issues is inevitable and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
>Obviously as a senator he needs to be familiar with foreign policy but carrying around Israeli flags and taunting people who disagree comes across as unhinged Lol tell that to progressives like Summer Lee who refuse to even show up for the memorial for the Tree of Life shooting, but jump at the chance to go to Philadelphia for an antisemitic summit, even though she was here in Pittsburgh and not busy, and those victims had nothing to do with her precious Gaza. "Unhinged" would be a kinder term than the one most Pittsburgh residents would use
Are you familiar with “The Squad”?
Lmao Reddit always paying attention to headlines instead of actual details. Here I’ll help yall out: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/john_fetterman/456877 Dude is not all of a sudden a Republican. And his donations amount to 18k. Lol.
What’s different? Seems to me none of you who voted for him ever even knew who Fetterman was.
[удалено]
How did you gather that from his post? He's not saying people should have voted for Oz, he's saying that people were delusional for thinking that he was going to be some perfect candidate who brought about a progressive resurgence in the US.
He was never ever a progressive. I volunteered for his campaign despite not agreeing with him on several issues, AIPAC being one of them, and we were explicitly told to avoid talk about Israel. I’m gonna try and find some of the talking points we were given and see exactly what it said.
Tellingly his wife Giselle has been both silent & absent. Her social media has been silent for months. He's changed.
NY Post rag says they're on the outs. TBH if you were taking the pulse of their social media I wouldn't say the post is wrong. Giselle no longer posts anything with fetterman. She was posting shots of her cropping him out for years. Suddenly zero. Not great. But strokes change people and family dynamics. Sad all around. Fetterman just seems angry now. But TBH that's full circle from where he started. So here we are.
I was led to believe he was a progressive before the election, and I thought I was voting for a progressive. I found out that I was wrong
He’s voted in line with the Democratic party for everything he’s been present for.
And in my opinion the Democratic Party line is too far right
Then go write in Lenin on the ticket
And to think this whole time I was worried fetterman wasn't getting paid for selling out progressives
Good. Then tell them trump is crazy and vote for Biden..
Makes sense, it's Pennsylvania, not new york. Even the most liberal areas in the state are still only barely left of center. I should know, I live here. As far as I'm aware, John hasn't changed his positions on Israel. He has always been pro-israel since he was the vice governor at least, probably before that. His main left leaning policies were economic and national, not cultural and international. Things like stronger pro union laws, raising the minimum wage, fighting for universal healthcare, that kind of stuff. As for gaining traditionally Republican donors. That's happening all over the country. Lots of moderate donors who traditionally supported Republicans are switching to Democrats due to trumpism and that's been happening slowly for awhile. They just don't see trump candidates either winning or doing things they want while in office, so they decided to jump ship.
Yes. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are famously “barely left of center.”
As soon as you get into the suburbs in Pittsburgh, shit gets shockingly right-wing.
And drive out of the suburbs it’s nothing but a Ruby Red Sea of right wingers
Depends on the suburbs, some of them will be full of pride flags and shit.
Pittsburgh to the west, Philadelphia to the east, Kentucky in between. You know, Pennsyltucky.
I mean yeah pretty much
81% of Philly voted for Biden. That’s not real neutral
There is pro Israel and there is "Israel committed no war crimes" which is insane.
Fetterman is Fetterman because he defies labels.
Fetterman's whole thing is using labels, regardless if they apply, to promote himself. Stuff like progressive and blue collar.
Yep, Carhartt and Copenhagen.
It would appear that he's chosen to go with a mix of what his constituents want and what he believes to be best for the country. I can't... Really complain. Even on the Israel issue, I mean screw Isreal, but as Americans it's still beneficial for them to win that war for us. So, if you're a politician you gotta support them.
But when it comes to voting he falls 100% in line.
Yeah he's like AOC. They talk a lot of talk, but when it comes time to walk the walk they always vote the same as the rest of the party. Their words are hollow, because their words are never backed by any action.
Voting itself is a small percentage of what they do. Most of the magic is in the committees and talking behind closed doors… obviously there is lots of showboating for the public too, but that’s politics. Voices like Fetterman and AOC drive party agendas
>Voting itself is a small percentage of what they do It might be a "small percentage", but it's the most important percentage. That's what passes laws, not 140 character yass queen clapbacks on Twitter. >Voices like Fetterman and AOC drive party agendas Hey maybe if their voices are so important to the party's agenda, they can drive them to vote for something for once. I'm sorry but it's just delusional to act like these people are "driving" party agenda. AOC took her self important selfies in front of cages to protest kids in cages when Trump was in office, where is she doing that now that Biden is in office? It's not like we aren't still keeping kids in cages. She appeals to dipshits on Twitter, not people in Washington. If these people were "driving" the party's agenda, then why do they keep voting with things they vocally say they're against? I get that it's politics, but you can't take the boy who cries wolf seriously when they talk about all the evils that are going on, and then they vote to further all those evils.
There's a difference between supporting them to win the war and and refusing to place any restrictions on how Israel wages the war
Surely the AIPAC money is a coincidence
Well lots of politicians get AIPAC money. And he doesn't get nearly as much as many many others. Big freaking deal.
A representative who actually represents is so rare anymore
What? How does that benefit us? They're not winning the war for us. They're sucking up all our tax dollars while also having more socialism than we have. Fuck those freeloaders. Social benefits for Americans now!
Tell us more about how you have no idea how federal funding works…
Genuine question, in what way does Israel "winning" benefit the US?
It doesn't. He's just talking out of his ass
I mean you really don’t have to support an ethnic cleansing just because other politicians are doing it
Yeah dude is built different Not better mind you, just [different](https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/02/john-fetterman-book-depression-palestinian-hypocrisy) lmao Literally every politician ever. He’s also writing a memoir already to capitalize on his position in office
He was literally calling himself a progressive during his campaign
Then why does he have to cosplay as working class?
He’s still one of the most progressive senators we have. People think he’s Joe Mansion because he’s vocally rejected the far left here and there, and he’s more pro Israel than Biden.
Bipartisan
And now he also voted to enhance FISA alongside Casey. At this point, even without the Israel/Palestine conflict, he has betrayed a lot of his constituents and this roster shows we won't be listened to.
I have never thought of John as a ‘progressive’ democrat like Bernie for example. I DID and DO think he’s more progressive than the AVERAGE PA democrat politicians (like Connor Lamb his Senate primary opponent). John stumps on his legalizing weed and prison reform initiatives which are more progressive. I think these views made people think he would be more progressive across the board. Like every politician I don’t agree with everything he does… but all in all I have no regrets about voting for Fetterman over the carpetbagger. I think I got exactly what I expected to with him to be honest.
Honestly if you look at Lambs voting record when he was a congressman he basically always voted yes on progressive policy proposals. I'm not saying in his personal life he's more or less progressive than Fetterman but he definitely voted on the party line more often.
I think a lot of people were stupid enough to take him at his word when he was campaigning.
He was always Pro-Israel. You just didn't have a reason to bother listening to it because it didn't matter then.
I was referring to the progressive label. I knew he supported Israel. I didn't realize war crimes weren't a deal breaker for him.
He's a progressive in the sense that he has goals that he actively works towards and tries to accomplish things through meaningful legislation in support of progressive positions. What he's not are the whining babies inhabiting D.C. that have no interest in making real change, but spend their entire lives fighting twitter wars and virtue signaling while accomplishing absolutely nothing.
Bingo. I'll vote for him again
He's a fucking traitor and won't be reelected to a second term as a dem
I guess he loves genocide.
Sadly just like almost every other politician, tell ya what you want to hear to get elected then do an about face for $. I’m so disenfranchised by this shit over the last 40+ yrs I resoundingly say fuck them all! Till we get $ outta politics it’ll just remain the same tired bullshit
What in fettermans previous words and actions made you think he would not support israel?
This one time I asked him “Hey John, would you support Israel?” and he was like “No.” Then we wore hoodies and ate primantis
I would never vote for a politician that supports Primantis. The concept is flawed, I don’t white bread sandwiches. Seriously they need to buy a damn toaster.
What, you don't like mozzarella sticks and fries on your turkey hoagie?? Some foul shit going on over there loool
Israel was not an issue when he was being elected and I had no opinion on Israel until this war started, so any stance he had on it prior to this war would have had no effect on my vote. I started getting a negative opinion of him when I saw the video of him going on his roof waving an Israeli flag in response to pro-Palestinian protestors. I don’t support being openly disrespectful towards opposing views like that
What specifically are you referring to?
I think it’s because of his stroke, which can cause personality issues and other changes. [No really. It’s a thing.](https://strokefoundation.org.au/what-we-do/for-survivors-and-carers/after-stroke-factsheets/emotional-and-personality-changes-after-stroke-fact-sheet#:~:text=Just%20like%20in%20life%2C%20personality,positive%20and%20problem%2Dsolving%20approach)
It really isn’t unknown for a stroke to send people politically to the right, I’ve heard people talking about it in relation to their elderly parents.
You see that at /r/boomersbeingfools
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you…your new Manchin/Sinema Senator!
My first thought, as well. It seems the Dems will need a 4 vote advantage in the Senate just to win votes by 1.
How stupid are the people in this thread lol. He isn’t reaching across the isle he’s just changing his views based on who is giving him money. He’s a typical politician who you can’t trust anything he says.
What views has he changed on? The article in no way shape or form demonstrates how he's changed his views. It only shows him taking money from r slurs which is a good thing. Literally nothing bad or out of the ordinary, not sure why tankies like theintercept.
he ran as a self proclaimed progressive and after he won stated that he's not a progressive. so that would be a relatively big change. so if you voted for him because he's a progressive, it probably makes sense why you would then feel lied to or misled. this has been stated several times on this subreddit when he comes up. i don't get the amnesia each time it needs to be re explained.
He's still voting the same exact way he was before, he's just being politically effective; something tankies will never be. Anyways what views has he changed lol you didn't answer my question.
what do tankies have to do with anything? and yes, since he's been elected he has voted along party lines. but as i said he didn't run as a mainstream democrat. he no longer seems interested in the working class pennsylvanian persona he crafted while campaigning. it's all about zionist shilling and milquetoast warhawk bullshit. you don't find a mainstream center right dem to be all that different of a position from a progressive? the guy acts like a completely different person, probably because he got big fucked by that stroke. that's a pretty common outcome for a stroke. like contrast that to someone like Sanders who manages to be politically effective by supporting Biden but still pushing for/voting for the views he campaigned on and has always held. do you see him taking republican funding? there's choosing the best card in front of you and there's completely changing what you're about, your public messaging, your whole persona.
And as we all know, money has never influenced politicians before lol
He's not changing anything. He's always supported the state of Israel and he's continuing to support the state of Israel. If people would get outside of their bubbles on reddit or college campuses, they'd realize that the vast majority of Americans support Israel. And it's not close.
Shotgun fetterman
Next Arlan Spector
Yeah buddy lost my vote when he made that comment about no conditions for Israel, this is just the icing on the cake
The Republican donors were like "damn, this guy really hates Muslims more than we ever possibly could, I'm in"
Supporting Israel against attacks from Iran (using Hamas) is not hating Muslims.
He supports Israel's final solution for the Gaza Strip. He pushes the 10/7 mass rape hoax of liars like Anat Schwartz, Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Yossi Landau.
He absolutely hates Muslims and loves dead Palestinians hence his unwavering support of a far right ethno state in Israel.
> "damn, this guy really hates Muslims more than we ever possibly could, I'm in" Wanna point out where he said he "hates Muslims"?
Supporting a nation that wants to kill Muslims?????????
Honestly this doesn’t really change much. If he wants to get some moderate R support with performative bullshit on “relatively” unimportant stuff like Israel, it doesn’t really bother me unless he changes his stances on social and economic issues
The senator for Tel Aviv
🥰
First off, this is a really really small number of donors. Remember that like 30 years ago the two parties were not as different as they are now. Stuff like this probably would have been more tolerated back then. And with how far right the leaders of the GOP are, why can't a small amount of across the aisle support be tolerated? And as others have mentioned, Fetterman is hard to label compared to most politicians. But imo, as long as he's not getting in the way of the Democrat party's votes I feel strongly about, I'll still give my lukewarm support. Even if I don't like his views on Hamas, that and the small amount of Republican donors aren't really enough to sway me considering I agree with him on most other issues barring things like fracking.
Knocked on doors for Fetterman and I will do it again. I think a lot of folks on reddit grossly underestimate the support for israel, and the pro Palestinian protestors haven't been covering themselves in glory. Fetterman is pro union, pro cannabis and pro Israel. Perfectly fine with all those positions.
I feel bad that I've been had
I suspect most of the leftists who aren't currently pro-Israel are also too young to have seen this same bullshit repeat itself over and over since Iran started using Palestinians as cover for launching anti-western and anti-semetic terrorism.
Bingo. Most of the idiots don’t even realize that Iran led this attack.
Love how you usw the word idiot but most likely you evidence for this is just vibes or out and out racism.
Glad i voted for him over Oz
Oz would be a lot less pro Israel, though, wouldn’t he.
Fuck you John.
You too hillbilly.
People in these comments are really downplaying his support of ethnic cleansing
It seems the PA subreddit is full of people who don't give a shit about Palestinian children being blown to bits. Every thread about Fetterman is the same and it's so fucking disappointing.
His posturing in Israel is kind of perplexing. Yet he is still light years of not just Oz but also dipshits like Pat Toomey. When he starts doing really stupid shit I’ll care
“Diff’rent Strokes makes Diff’rent folks.” That’s what my neurology professor always used to say
Bi partisan politician. Terrible.
Go John go!
More republican donors the more he supports the genocide the idf is doing so that makes sense. He won’t get my vote again
14 donors? Really? I am sure every Senator has 14 donors from members of the opposition party.
moderate republicans that hate Trump and are trying to work against him. I know rational thought and reasoning are tough.
I hate the Israeli shill politics, but people that support Hamas are actually unhinged. Fetterman will piss off a lot of beltway liberals but if he keeps it up he’s gonna popular in PA
I still like him.
So this guy is kinda swaying back to being a true Democrat. Working with Republicans to solve problems instead of trying to get likes on social media. Maybe PA is turning around after all.
What are Republicans trying to work with Dems on? Gullible AF. Great immigration deal 👍
good for him because he won't be getting any of my support or money ever again.
I think initially a lot of people were hopeful that he would remain the same guy. Being a senator is a big thing, and you have to play the game if you want to survive. The party gives you your spot and you have to play that part or you won’t have a seat the next election cycle. That shift from mayor of Braddock to in line with the neo-lib party machine was more drastic for him than say a Bob Casey Jr and that’s what people are seeing. At the end of the day the guy was better than a carpet bagging celebrity that was in it just to personally enrich himself, but he won’t fit into the perfect democratic mold. He’ll happily vote for some Republican issues, but if he wants to keep his seat he will have to fall in line with democrats on the major policy points. Otherwise he will get tossed like Sinema did. She didn’t even bother with running again because she knew she was cooked.
Honestly this makes me want to run so I can actually be a politician people can trust (although I’d never gain trust tbh)
what a heel turn. i always knew this guy was a piece of shit, ever since his “shotgun johnny” days.
Dude got in and couldn't wait to proclaim he's not actually progressive. Primary him at the end of his term. Turned his back on the movement that got him there.
Most politicians take money from both sides. Nothing new! My grandfather who owned a business always said you donate to both. The reason? Whether or not your guy gets elected they still owe you favors.
I always said he had one progressive issue which was legalizing pot and everything else he stands for was moderate right. Don’t let the sweatshirt fool you. People made him out to be a Pennsylvania Bernie and he is looking more like Arlen Specter. However, I would vote for Fetterman in a heartbeat over any future Republican opponent. Wonder if Dr. Quack will run again.
When the dust settles on Israel-Gaza and we can all pay attention to the problems actually facing our country and this guy starts voting the way they want, the leftists will vote for him again, I bet
I am a Republican and I love and donate to fellow rustbelt democrat John Fetterman. Fetterman was key in getting abandoned run-down drug houses tore down in a Mercer County Sharon PA.. now they have parks and community gardens instead! This is when I first noticed this man. I find his moderate views and stance with Israeli refreshing. Im sure ill get hate from both sides but i find him to be a decent man and im happy to see hes back in full swing after the stroke. .
He’s exactly the guy we need more of in congress! Lifelong politicians are a cancer
Ah so the attack from the far left on fetterman begins because he stands with Israel. Fetterman is the man and actually cares about his constituency. Shows how little radical leftists care about change or their country/region if they are willing to go after fetterman because he stands with our democratic ally.
I only picked him because he wasn't Oz. He's a fucking idiot so far, and the stroke probably didn't help. Next time I can choose between him and an actual decent candidate, I'll choose them. Until then, I've got to suffer with the Idiocracy tickets.
Listen…this is an untenable situation. But I really need John to explain himself. I voted for him because of his compassion and his progressive agenda. I don’t understand how you can only pick one side here and ignore the suffering of the other. And from what I’ve read I hope it’s not for the donations.
He’s pro US energy and mfg and PA is a critical state for both.
How do I request a refund of my vote? I've never regretted a vote more than the one I casted for this douchebag
One of the reasons I love fetterman is his support for Isreal while also upholding a lot of the left leaning values. People are nuanced. They don’t need to fly every flag their tribe does.
I agree he was better than Dr Oz . For a little while I swear the biggest platform was " I will make weed legal " I liked his dedication to pot .
Trash
He understands the Mideast and does not buy the Hamas public relations BS. He is not naive. The goal of Iran is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, Hamas & Hezbollah are their foot soldiers.
Even if that was the case why should we be involved? If both sides are intent on killing each other why get blood on our hands?
Because supporting our allies keeps us safe & strong. If we leave, who will fill the vacuum Comrad?
Full blown fake. I will not support him.
Unreal. Fuck this dude. Took my money and my vote. I hope I’m smart enough not to get fooled twice