Who would Shapiro pick to replace Fetterman? (Washington, McGovern: neighborhood, buying)

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

Fetterman is unabashedly far left progressive, but he's also cozyed up to big moneyed interests. Not a good combination when there are still a few holdouts to selling out on the far left. Very few, but there are a few. The problem is they're as cracked ideologically as the sell outs. But an honest cracxked is better than a dishonest cracked.
Casey's a party bootlick and Fetterman is one as well and i can't see Shapiro who is another party bootlick looking for someone with any sign of independence.
Fetterman's wife is pretty nasty so she's probably the front runner.

I'll just respond to this by noting that you could simply change the names and this would apply to any number of Republicans.

Though it does seem that Will Rogers' old witticism ("I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat.") now applies more to the Rs than the Ds.

But I'm not sure that what's happening over there represents the "independence" you favor. either. You seem to be wishing for a creature that no longer exists.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

...Fetterman's wife is ... probably the front runner.

Oh yeah, I forgot that the spouse is often selected to fill out a term. Fetterman could probably negotiate that in any deal where he steps down.

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I'll just respond to this by noting that you could simply change the names and this would apply to any number of Republicans.

Though it does seem that Will Rogers' old witticism ("I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat.") now applies more to the Rs than the Ds.

But I'm not sure that what's happening over there represents the "independence" you favor. either. You seem to be wishing for a creature that no longer exists.

Exactly. Which is why the Orange Lord and others like him remain stubbornly popular among people who only have votes to cast, and no campaign donations to leverage their influence. I noticed that Senator JD Vance went out to East Palestine, in many ways a sister city to Braddock, to literally rake the muck, which is something I can see Fetterman doing. Meanwhile Governor Mike DeWine (R) is content to address the issue from a distance and is being raked over the coals by right wing populists.

[toobusytoday]

It looks like the Governor does select a replacement if that happens: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...-on-the-state/ I think Conor Lamb would be a good choice for replacing Fetterman. I do wish Fetterman the best though and hope that he can figure out some coping strategies. I can't imagine the challenges that he has right now.

[MPK21]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

Lest we forget, after withdrawing from the McGovern ticket (or being forced off), Tom Eagleton was re-elected to the Senate twice more by the people of Missouri, in 1974 and 1980. Eagleton was not ruined by the 1972 revelations, but psychiatrists said he could suffer further episodes and it was feared that voters would not want him "a heartbeat away from the Presidency".

Right, Eagleton came clean about his mental health issues shortly after being named VP on the '72 Dem ticket. Eagleton's past treatments pre-dated his '68 Senate election and, as far as is known, wasn't hospitalized again post-mid 1960s for his mental health issues.

Eagleton had to go due to his potential of being President as McGovern's VP but he remained a U.S. Senator until 1987.

Unlike Fetterman, Eagleton wasn't hospitalized (2) times by mid-February 1969 after taking office in Jan '69 so the comparison made upthread between Fetterman-Eagleton is misplaced.

The only thing ''hidden'' about Fetterman was his actual post-stroke condition during his campaign that no one saw first-hand until the late October debate. Wins the election, disappears, takes office early January back, not covered by the media, and in the news for (2) hospitalizations withing a week by mid February.

Now another hidden medical condition emerges: clinical depression requiring hospitalization while in office. Whoever thought a Sentate campaign and taking office for such a high-profile, high-pressure position was a good remedy for the initial and crucial months of recovery from a stroke. We only know about this long-term mental health issue because he was hospitalized. Gee, I thought he had a clean bill of health in October; no one thought perhaps his clinical depression issues would be exacerbated by his post-stroke condition?

Well, now we see Fetterman in the hospital twice since early January. His current stay is expected to be several weeks.

Doubt he'll be able to last as a U.S. Senator and I hope this ''job'' doesn't result in even more drastic health issues. Gisele will step up and take the seat.

[MPK21]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

As someone who has sought treatment (outpatient) for depression and am prone to it, I hope we have moved past where we were when Eagleton's severe depression became public, though one could argue that the frenzy was the result of Eagleton having hidden it rather than having sought treatment.

As I don't know the details of Fetterman's case, I can't say whether his depression is severe enough to render him incapable of serving the citizens of Pennsylvania. But I can tell you as a living example that there are millions of us who wrestle with our black dogs daily while continuing to function, and even function highly, in society.

Here's another sufferer from the past: Winston Churchill. He called his depression "my black dog," and I've adopted that metaphor because I find it vivid. (There have been few politicians in the Anglophone world who were as masterful as Churchill in their use of the language. Another good one was his description of the British and the Americans as "two people divided by a common language.")

Most of us keep our black dogs securely leashed, but every so often, they slip the leash and escape the fenced-in yard. Sometimes, catching them when they do is easy. Sometimes it isn't. In those latter cases, the best thing others can do is help us chase them.

The Eagleton frenzy was more about him being the VP and, obviously, the potential of being the President. McGovern et al looked bad for not properly vetting Eagleton. Eagleton admitted to his prior depresssion treatments shortly after being named to the '72 ticket. Did this hurt McGovern? Well, he only won 17 electoral votes: Massachusetts (14) and DC (3); he didn't even win his home state and this was the first election with the 18 year olds voting; the liberal Boomers/hippies. Then again, it really came down to McGovern's wacky policies.

Fetterman is expected to be an inpatient for the next few weeks; he has major depressive disorder. Again, we're only finding out about Fetterman's clinical depression due to his being hospitalized for it.

Who will take Fetterman's U.S. Senate seat? Gisele Fetterman

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

First let me say I wish John Fetterman the best, and speedy recoveries from all of his challenges.

This thread asks a hypothetical question based on recent news.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fet...cal-depression

I just don't want to be blindsided if Fetterman abruptly resigns and Gov. Shapiro has to pick a replacement. Obviously Shapiro is an establishment moderate, where Fetterman is a populist. So who would Shapiro pick? Conor Lamb, who came second to Fetterman in the primaries? Someone from the Philly area, where Shapiro is from?

Am I correct in thinking that Pennsylvania follows a system where such a replacement would fill out the entire term, which at this point would be another 5 years, ten and a half months?

Here's the OP ^. Let's stay on topic, please.

[E-Z-B]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Here's the OP ^. Let's stay on topic, please.

Thank you for your service, toobusytoday. I love that you help reign in politic discussions. They don’t need to be here. There’s a “Politics” area of anyone really wants to get into that. I wish you would help the New Jersey area as well. The admins there are just as bad as some of the other trolls here.

[Muinteoir]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

It looks like the Governor does select a replacement if that happens: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...-on-the-state/ I think Conor Lamb would be a good choice for replacing Fetterman. I do wish Fetterman the best though and hope that he can figure out some coping strategies. I can't imagine the challenges that he has right now.

Lamb would be the obvious choice since he was the runner-up in the Democratic primary. But I hope everyone realizes just how speculative this topic is at this time. As of last word, he is expected to return to the senate. I admire him for his honesty not only with his constituents, but with his family and himself. Coming from a family with severe mental health challenges, I have seen first-hand the damage of unaddressed mental health crises.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/0...enate-00083564

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Muinteoir

Lamb would be the obvious choice since he was the runner-up in the Democratic primary. But I hope everyone realizes just how speculative this topic is at this time. As of last word, he is expected to return to the senate. I admire him for his honesty not only with his constituents, but with his family and himself. Coming from a family with severe mental health challenges, I have seen first-hand the damage of unaddressed mental health crises.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/0...enate-00083564

Nice short article there, and indeed, I find the response to the news of Fetterman's hospitalization for depression encouraging as well.

Reminder to everyone: in most states, a resignation this early in a six-year term would trigger a special election. The Governor's appointing a person to fill the seat is only a stopgap measure. The person appointed to fill the seat in the interim would presumably have a leg up going into the special election should they choose to run for the remainder of the term.

This is also true here.

And the above article suggests that this discussion is just a parlor game, though yes, anything could happen.

[MPK21]

Why didn't Fetterman disclose his clinical depression diagnosis prior to being elected a U.S. Senator or, for that matter, Lt Governor?