Paul Kengor: 'President Fetterman'? The commendably independent Pa. senator

David Catron is a seasoned, astute political analyst. He has an impressive if not uncanny record picking the most unlikely presidential winners, including Donald Trump in 2016. Thus, Catron had my full attention with his recent column, “Is John Fetterman Running for President?”

“Decidedly to the displeasure of his Senate (Democrat) colleagues, Fetterman frequently disagrees with the party’s far left positions,” notes Catron. “Even worse, he goes on Fox News to discuss his adamant refusal to robotically repeat the party line.”

So true. Catron argues that Fetterman isn’t doing this “merely to be an iconoclast. It’s pretty obvious that he sees a real need within his party for genuine leaders who can discern the difference between smart politics and dumb politics. He … seems to be developing his own ‘reasonable Democrat’ brand and is marketing it to audiences that most of his colleagues ignore. Specifically, he’s talking to the working-class voters who have abandoned the Democrats.”

Here’s where Catron’s argument gets especially interesting. He theorizes that Fetterman “isn’t doing these things because he wants to spend the rest of his life in the Senate … . He almost certainly has his eye on the White House.” Catron notes that even people like Bill Maher say Fetterman has the “charisma and authenticity” to “fix much of what ails most Democrats.” Maher calls Fetterman that “rare Democrat who is not afraid to put the woke nonsense peddlers in his own party in their place.”

Personally, I cannot imagine Fetterman becoming president of the United States. I would hazard to say that Fetterman probably can’t imagine it. When we consider his dismal state just three years ago, when he struggled to functionally read a teleprompter generously granted to him for a debate with Dr. Mehmet Oz, it seems more inconceivable. That unfortunate condition — prompted by an untimely stroke — should have prompted Fetterman to withdraw from the race. But as we know, Fetterman stayed in and Pennsylvania voters pulled the lever for a man in no mental condition to become a senator.

And yet, how times have changed. Fetterman persevered. He’s no longer suffering from what was — God bless him — a temporary incapacity. Moreover, in that short period, he has emerged as one of the Senate’s most independent members, commendably so.

Once upon a time in America — not even a half century ago — there were many such individuals in the Senate. Not only were there moderate Democrats and Republicans, but there were conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans who reached across the aisle. Here in Pennsylvania, we had a liberal to moderate Republican senator in local boy John Heinz. From the state’s eastern side, we had likewise with Arlen Specter.

Today, congressional members are polarized and partisan. Many sycophantically toe the party line, never challenging their party leaders. Rare is the elected Washington official who thinks independently.

One such exception is John Fetterman, our guy from Western Pennsylvania. West Virginia’s Joe Manchin also bravely followed his own lead and bucked the party puppeteers. But with Manchin gone, Fetterman seems the one voice of independence in a party turned hard left.

I can’t say that this commendable quality can serve to make Fetterman president, but I can say that it has earned my appreciation. Sure, I’m a conservative Republican who disagrees with Fetterman probably 75% of the time, but I’m 100% behind his kind of refreshingly rare independence.