MAVE
tant Clint Barkdoll, both can be true; Fetterman has shifted on several key issues, but in doing so, he has also remained broadly consistent. “If you look back on when
he ran in the primary for the Senate, Fetterman had a 67-county strategy,” Barkdoll told Newsmax. “One of the lines he used against his op- ponent, a moderate, Conor Lamb, was: ‘Who wants anoth- er Joe Manchin in the Senate?’ “It was a great line. The
crowd would scream, ‘No!’ He would paint Conor Lamb as a moderate as if he was going to be this strong, hard- core Democrat. “Fetterman talked like he
was generously supportive of very leftist, progressive ide- als,” Barkdoll added. “When he ran against Dr. Oz for the Senate seat, it seemed like he checked all the progressive boxes.” However, in tracking to
the moderate right on several key issues, Fetterman has re- mained on brand in flashing his populist streak — which falls more in lockstep with
“Part of the secret to his success is that the public has become tired of the conventional, buttoned-up, Washington, D.C., archetype.” — Clint Barkdoll,
Pennsylvania-based political consultant
the Pennsylvania constitu- ency he serves, according to Barkdoll. “He’s tapped into some-
thing. I can tell you that a lot of the same people who voted for Trump now also support Fet- terman. He has said he loves Trump voters, and I believe he means it,” Barkdoll said. “And so do a lot of Trump
supporters,” he added. Barkdoll, who has spent
more than two decades work- ing as a consultant in the state, said he believes the senator’s popularity has in- creased since the election partly due to his persona as an everyman. “Part of the secret to his
success is that the public has become tired of the conven- tional, buttoned-up, Wash- ington, D.C., archetype,” he explained. “His wife works at the local thrift shop. He drives his own car and has passed on having a detail. It just resonates with people. He resonates with people. “It’s as if, in electing John
Fetterman, they have sent a big middle finger to the sys- tem,” he added.
shifted. He claims that while his outlook on life may have changed, his core values have remained steadfast. “I am the same guy,” said
T 58 NEWSMAX | FEBRUARY 2025
Fetterman. “I’ve always dressed like a slob. I’ve always
he senator rejects the national media narrative that his po- litical ideology has
UNIFIER Top: Fetterman greets supporters at the “Women for Fetterman” rally in Pennsylvania. Bottom: Sitting with his wife, Gisele, at their home in Braddock, he describes himself as a bridge builder: “I would really like to remind everybody, whatever side you’re on, that we are all Americans, and we intensely love our nation.”
been consistent.” Further, the political parties
KRISTON JAE BETHEL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
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