John Fetterman meets Mehmet Oz on the debate stage Thursday night for their first and only face-off as the candidates for Pennsylvania’s Senate seat this campaign. There’s a lot riding on this moment—how will Fetterman do, post-stroke? How will his performance and incredibly reasonable use of accommodations be judged? Also, how will he go about roasting Dr. Oz—will it be primarily about living in New Jersey? Will we get a crudité moment?
There are lots of questions. But in the last hours before the event, the Fetterman-Oz news cycle (upon news cycle, upon news cycle) having worn me down, I have just one! What will Fetterman wear?
Earlier today, as I edited a piece about debates this campaign season overall, I asked a member of our art team for a photo of Fetterman. How about one of him in a sweatshirt?, she asked. Because on first glance, that’s all there was:
The sweatshirt has been Fetterman’s signature, probably for a few reasons. One is that it’s comfortable. Another is probably that it actually connects to his image—the everyman, the relatable guy, the inverse of Dr. Oz. Really it leaves me asking: Does this guy even own a suit?
Yes, yes he does! He wore one recently to meet President Joe Biden in Pittsburgh.
Meeting the president is defintely a good time to wear a suit. And I have to admit, that even though I think the sweatshirt look works for him, John Fetterman should wear a suit tonight too. Maybe even this suit! After all, slightly ill-fitting Men’s Wearhouse is also the uniform of the people.
