The reaction by some to Donald Trump’s endorsement of Dr. Mehmet Oz in the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania seems a bit over the top. I mean, I get it on some levels: Oz isn’t great on the issues, isn’t a conservative rockstar (as if Pennsylvania produces any), and is an unknown commodity in electoral politics (see Trump, Donald J., circa 2015). But everyone needs to take a deep breath and understand that Oz is 10 times better than former hedgefund CEO Dave McCormick. And in Trump’s mind, maybe 50 times better.
If you’re Trump, you have political capital. The man has clout with the base and given the numbers he’s seen, he can be the kingmaker in U.S. Senate races in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona, and Missouri. There are no credible MAGA candidates in the Pennsylvania Senate race; this isn’t a potential Jim DeMint versus Oz situation, so Trump really has two choices: Oz or McCormick.
Now I fully understand that on a variety of issues Oz has made troubling comments and that he’s a gamble. He’s also very new to politics and I assume that some of those opinions will adjust as he continues on with the campaign and gains experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump helps guide him through some of those minefields.
Now consider Trump’s view of Oz. In 2016, when pundits and the press were questioning Trump’s health and ability to serve as president, Oz had him on his TV show and vouched forcefully for Trump’s good health. Even when Oz was baited by the leftist press to attack Trump, he refused. That kind of loyalty goes a long way with Trump.
Now look at McCormick. He’s spent decades being very consistent on a whole host of fronts, and not in a good way. Let’s start with his pro-China stance. As the president and later CEO of Bridgewater, McCormick loved doing business with China. He was there for over a dozen years and in case you didn’t know, Bridgewater has been managing Chinese state money since 1993, including Beijing’s sovereign wealth fund. In short, Bridgewater is in bed with the Chinese Communist Party. Under McCormick’s leadership, Bridgewater didn’t shy away from doing business with the Chinese Communists. In fact, McCormick expanded Bridgewater’s business in China, even helping raise over $1 billion for a private fund in China as late as November 2021.
Beyond China, McCormick is your typical open borders, pro-amnesty, Chamber of Commerce type of Republican. He’s also the typical neocon who hasn’t seen a war he doesn’t like. Even worse, he’s bought into the lie of January 6. When asked about it by Bloomberg weeks after the incident, in the context of whether the GOP should jettison Trumpism, McCormick replied, “We shouldn’t embrace the divisiveness of the last four years” of which “Trump bears a great responsibility.” Evidently, McCormick missed the divisiveness caused by the Russian collusion hoax, Ukrainian quid pro quo, and a host of other nonstop attacks by administrative state actors and corporate propagandists.
Throw on top of the crap cake that is McCormick the icing of his new wife, globalist Dina Powell, and you’re telling me Trump isn’t going to endorse his opponent? Come on. Of course Trump is going to endorse Oz.
Is Oz going to be the next Ted Cruz or Josh Hawley or Jim DeMint? Of course not. Is he going to vote 90 percent with Republicans? Almost certainly. Is he going to be an ally of Trump’s in the Senate if and when Trump runs and wins in 2024? You bet. When you get a handful of lemons like we have with the Republican primary in Pennsylvania, you make lemonade. And Trump is making sweet lemonade out of them. Oz will win the primary, probably win the general given the dynamics of the coming 2022 midterms, and if you keep your expectations low, I bet he’ll even pleasantly surprise you.