Mehmet Oz might just be a good doctor after all.
I write not of his medical prowess, which is checkered with Ivy League practice alongside accusations of pseudoscience and quackery. Oz might just be “good” in a discrete moral sense. That is, he might have a conscience, or sense of principle in politics. The last 48 hours since the Pennsylvania Senate Republican primary, which has been too close to call, have been instructive in revealing Oz’s character and political acumen as he defies his endorser, Donald Trump.
As of this writing, Oz holds the lead by 1,420 votes or 0.1 percent. Yet he has not claimed victory. Neither should he, since the thin margins between him and David McCormick formally mean that one county’s votes or thousands of the remaining mail-in votes could swing the difference. Plus, a recount is legally required if the margin of victory falls below 0.5 percent, which will likely occur here and could alter the outcome in such a tight race. Oz knows he’s the front-runner by the skin of his teeth and may slip from first place at any time.
Yet Oz has been under pressure by Trump to “declare victory” in the contest now, to make it “much harder to cheat” for his opponents later. His comments are a gross offense to the state’s Republican Party and its voters, 70 percent of whom did not vote for Oz in the primary (he has 31.2 percent of the vote now) and all of whom should expect a free and fair election. It’s a copy of Trump’s maneuvering in 2020, where his premature declaration of victory was never rescinded and became the basis for his lie of a rigged election in the state.
Trump’s actions back then split the Pennsylvania GOP like a watermelon after the election — between loyalists and the rest. It has allowed insurgents like Doug Mastriano, now the nominee for governor, to gain the foothold they have. Trump’s appeal that Oz do so this time around, before the general election, would be even worse for the state party. It would divide the party over the Senate race — a critical midterm election to ensure a Senate GOP majority — as it faces a united state Democratic Party, which overwhelmingly supports Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman’s candidacy. David McCormick and Kathy Barnette might be bitter about potentially losing to the Trump-backed Oz but could be placated or, if they caused trouble, ignored if the process is deemed fair by all. If Oz were to jump the gun now at Trump’s behest, any pretext of fairness would be drowned out by the ruckus. McCormick and Barnette would rally supporters to push back against the results. All bets of unity would be off.
There’s a certain irony to Trump, progenitor of the “Stop the Steal” movement, trying to birth smaller “Stop the Steal” camps — for Oz, McCormick, and Barnette — who would accuse each other of stealing the election from their side. Right now, what stands between Pennsylvania and that mayhem is the good Dr. Oz, standing by until victory becomes clear. Any declaration of victory ought to come once the race is called by media, or when other candidates call to concede. Trump, for once, should be ignored. If Oz aspires to leadership within the state party this election cycle, and statesmanship as Pennsylvania’s next senator, this is a first test of his political chops. So far, he’s done well.