The funniest thing about Trump’s political endorsements is that Republicans seem to think the ocher abomination actually weighs factors beyond “he looks good on the teevee” or “he’ll kiss my ass 30% more effervescently than the other candidate” when arriving at these decisions.
For Trump it always devolves into personal (and in Trump’s case that means “gobsmackingly inane”) reasons for making an endorsement. Usually that just comes down to “who will let me successfully steal the election next time?” But he also loves sketchy, media-skilled political gadflies whose only qualification for higher office is an utter lack of shamelessness that lets them say whatever will galvanize the gormless hordes. In other words, he’s trying to create demigods in his own image.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, whom Trump endorsed on Saturday, ticks off all the boxes. Essentially, he’s a grifter, like Trump. Indeed, he’s the perfect avatar for the modern conservative movement. He’s totally full of shit and is popular in spite—or rather because—of it.
That said, lots of conservatives are unhappy with the endorsement, which could be yet another indication that Trump’s vise-like grip on the GOP is beginning to slip somewhat:
The Senate race in Pennsylvania is expected to be one of the closest in the country, with several Republicans vying for the nomination. With his celebrity status, Oz is considered one of the race's frontrunners, but still faces skepticism from some conservative voters.
"He even said that I was in extraordinary health, which made me like him even more (although he also said I should lose a couple of pounds!)," Trump wrote in his endorsement. [...]
However, conservatives took to Twitter to share their disdain for the endorsement saying that Oz would not be sufficiently conservative enough in the Senate, with some pointing to his previous comments on abortion and gun control.
Of course, in a move worthy of a master ventriloquist, even as they criticized Trump’s judgment on this pick, many Republicans managed to keep their lips firmly pressed against his bounteous backside.
Take, for instance, Sean Parnell, Trump’s initial Pennsylvania Senate endorsee. You’ll recall he was forced to withdraw because a raft of domestic abuse allegations made him too revolting even for MAGAs.
And then there’s Tim Swain, a GOP candidate for a South Carolina House seat ...
And right-wing radio host Erick Erickson was also less than impressed ...
Indeed, Erickson’s tweet drew its own endorsement from the unceremoniously unendorsed Rep. Mo Brooks, whose Alabama Senate campaign was apparently a bit too loser-ly for Trump to stomach …
Finally, Joel Pollak, senior editor at large for Breitbart, predicts that Trump’s support of Oz, who is more associated in the public’s mind with Oprah Winfrey than MAGA, will only serve to disrupt Trump’s weird, shambolic political movement ...
Of course, Oz has his own reasons for running and—you guessed it—they’re bad. On his campaign website, he states, “Witnessing our nation’s failings of Covid, I learned that when you mix politics and medicine, you get politics instead of solutions. That’s why I am running for United States Senate—to help fix the problems and to help us all heal.”
Of course, what he’s saying is actually true. The Trump administration did let politics intrude on good medicine and good science—and that blunted the effectiveness of its COVID-19 response—but I don’t think that’s what he’s arguing here.
If you want a true glimpse at Derp Ooze’s record on finding solutions to the pandemic crisis, you need look no further than Donald Trump’s favorite COVID-19 snake oil, hydroxychloroquine.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Oz was among the medical experts to tout the benefits of hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug pushed by former President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19, despite insufficient evidence. After studies found the drug did not provide any benefit for treating COVID-19, Oz dialed back his endorsement, saying people should wait for more substantial evidence from trials.”
All I can say about Dr. Oz is that his name is perfect for today’s performative GOP. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” might as well be the party motto—and when it comes to Oz, the unveiling is just getting started.
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