Here we go again, folx. Another problematic, totally unqualified Republican TV star is running for public office and it’s none other than… Dr. Oz.
Ugh.
The 61-year-old cardiac-surgeon-turned-talk-show-host just announced he’s entering the race for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey next year.
Oz made the announcement on his website earlier today, writing, “Today, America’s heartbeat is in a code red in need of a defibrillator to shock it back to life… I’m running for U.S. Senate to reignite our divine spark, bravely fight for freedom, and will tell it like it is.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Related: Caitlyn Jenner accuses Ellen of making everyone think she’s an a**hole
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Oz has already hired campaign aides and reached out to several GOP leaders in Pennsylvania. He brings with him huge name recognition, an estimated net worth of $100 million, lots of junk science, and, of course, his long friendship with Oprah Winfrey, who helped make him famous.
His entry into the race also adds another layer of drama to what has already been a super dramatic primary race.
Earlier this month, the Trump-endorsed front-runner, Sean Parnell, suspended his campaign when a judge ruled against him in a custody battle with his estranged wife that included multiple allegations of abuse.
Here’s what Twitter is saying about the whole thing…
Donald Trump, Caitlyn Jenner, Herschel Walker… and now Dr. Oz.
The Republican Party is the party of washed up celebrities running for office they have zero qualifications to hold.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) November 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/trumpocalyps17/status/1465748433914847233
This is just too perfect of our Trumpian moment: Dr. Oz "began voting in Pennsylvania’s elections this year by absentee ballot, registered to his in-laws’ address in suburban Philadelphia"
— Taniel (@Taniel) November 30, 2021
I love me some Oprah – but man she released a lot of frauds on the world. #drOz #drPhil
— Brett Mineer (@MineerBrett) November 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/B52Malmet/status/1465767902993215492
https://twitter.com/tuttut/status/1465754100851748871
Dr. Oz running for senate???!!!! No thanks. He helped push TFG'S loony ideas and said covid wasn't deadly. He's a loser. So is Dr. Phil. Who has no credentials to therapy anyone. He was a lawyer.
— Marie stapel (@Mariestapel1) November 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/KaivanShroff/status/1465753660340719622
“Dr.” Oz, a Trump doctor, plans to run for Senator in PA. Oz said a child mortality rate of 3% was an “appetizing opportunity” to keep schools open during Covid. Oz also said Trump had “no health problems” even though Trump is morbidly obese. Oz is a quack. Don’t vote for Oz.
— The Gen Z Perspective Newsletter (@uncvrngthetruth) November 30, 2021
Oprah did many wonderful things but Dr Oz and “Dr” Phil aren’t on that list.
— Stronger Together🔥 ✍🏼 (@MKvidahl) November 30, 2021
Voting for Dr. Oz is problematic on several levels, but did you ever wonder what it means that some of the biggest wackadoos in Congress were previously doctors? Does it say there are more crazy doctors than we'd like to admit, or that you have to be crazy to run for office?
— Schooley (@Rschooley) November 30, 2021
Can't wait until the Dr Oz vs Oprah Winfrey presidential election
— ?????????Adria??? Fitzy????????? (@hwf0712) November 30, 2021
Real chance that the US Senate has these members in 2023:
Dr. Oz, Herschel Walker, Mo Brooks, Tommy Tuberville, Blake Masters, Kelly Tshibaka, Josh Mandel, Eric Greitens, and Josh Hawley.
An ambitious crossover between the Facebook comments section and the US Senate.
— Lakshya Jain (@lxeagle17) November 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/ThisIsChester_/status/1464909153311334400
When someone asks me who my US Senators are, I don’t want to have to tell them one of them is @DrOz
— Ari Fadakar (@arianbfadakar) November 30, 2021
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
marshal phillips
What is his platform specifically, exact and detailed?
jayceecook
He lays some of it out, if not all of it, in his oped on the right wing Washington Examiner site. Basically it’s the same alt right conspiracy BS about COVID-19, the lock downs, vaccine mandates, etc, etc.
jayceecook
Using an address that you don’t personally reside at in a state you personally don’t reside in, even part-time, so you can vote there is somehow NOT voter fraud. Does not compute. On the same note, why does PA allow folks who don’t own a residence and reside there, at least part-time, run for one of the highest political offices in the country?
Let’s also not forget that he said on Fox News that letting 2% to 3% of American CHILDREN die was an acceptable loss if it meant giving Anerican’s their freedom back by opening schools during the height of the pandemic.
Thanks Oprah. Can we finally cancel her now?
Mack
I don’t support nor like Dr Oz, let me say that first. But he could be using his in-laws address to avoid people knowing where he lives. Maybe he hates his in-laws and this is a way to pay back.
leauxbeaux
“owning a residence” should actually be “reside at/in.” Owning as a right for voting lost out years ago!
jayceecook
@Mack He lives in New York. He used his in-laws’ address to specifically vote there via an absentee ballot. I know every state’s laws are different but unless he can prove that he also resides there that should count as voter fraud. Most states require that you have your own personal residence. Now he’s going to run for a political office where he doesn’t currently reside!? That’s effed up. He’ll have to buy a residence in PA since he’s running. But like, how does he know what’s good for the people of PA when he’s been living in New York? And the idiots in PA, I live one state over and my father and his family were from there so I’m familiar, will totally ignore that fact and vote for him because he’ll just parrot the same Trumpian BS that is the stuff of their masturbat0ry fantasies.
jayceecook
@leauxbeaux So you’re basically saying in PA you don’t have to own or rent a residence (house, apartment, condo, etc) nor reside at the address you put down to request an absentee ballot to vote there?
Openminded
Someone should be checking exactly what offices he voted for before broadly implying he voted for Federal offices. Numerous places allow absentee voting for property owners who do not reside permanently to vote ONLY for local representation such as town mayors, sheriffs, etc.. This allows people who have legit claims to representation the ability to get that LOCAL representation. State wide and Federal offices must be voted for in your home state/primary residency. IDK, but it’s very possible he only voted for local offices and gained that ability because he may actually own the property his in-laws reside in or another piece of property in that area. It’s amazing how many wealthy people actually own their parents and in-laws homes. I’d imagine there is some financial/inheritance/estate planning going on in these cases.
jayceecook
@Openminded Doesn’t matter what he voted for. He did not have residence in the state of PA when he voted. He and his immediate family live in New Jersey. His in-laws live in PA. He used their mailing address to obtain a mail in ballot. Unless he can prove that he lives with his in-laws at that address he used a loophole to vote there. Under PA law if you request an absentee ballot you have to not only prove residence but you have to provide a reason as to why you will not be in the state on the day of the election. If you request a mail in ballot all you have to do is provide an address that meets the requirements of residency. There would be no need to use somebody else’s mailing address to obtain a ballot if he had his own.
I highly doubt he owns his in-laws’ home. That would mean it was in his name and not theirs. That would be problematic because then theoretically his in-laws would have to show that they either rent the home from him or are renting to buy so they can meet the residency requirements to vote. Loads of rich people own properties in various states. That doesn’t mean they get to vote in those states unless they spend a certain amount of time there.
Openminded
Jaycee, my comment should explain itself. I know it is accurate as I live in TN and can vote in 2- out of state counties since I own property there. I can only vote for local representation such as sheriff, mayor, alderman and other elected county positions. I am not allowed to vote for Governor in either state and neither can I vote for Federal offices as I stated. I did not claim that this is what he was doing, I just suggested that it needed to be verified before broadly claiming he had voted for Federal offices illegally. The fact is still, many counties make allowances for “non resident property owners” to vote absentee ballots.
jayceecook
@OpenMinded I do understand where you are coming from and I don’t deny what you are saying is true for you. However, only eleven states have statutes that permit nonresidents, such as second-home owners or business owners, to vote in local, municipal, and/or special district elections such as irrigation, water, sewer and conservancy districts. Those include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee (as you mentioned), and Wyoming. Connecticut and Delaware allow nonresident voting in municipal or town elections. Out of those eleven, ten states allow nonresident voting in certain special district elections. New Mexico and Delaware have provisions allowing nonresidents to vote in special district elections in addition to municipal elections.
Do you see PA in that list? I never said he voted illegally. I said he took advantage of a loophole to vote in PA as a nonresident. I feel that *should* count as voter fraud. I’m not the only one questioning this. A lot of websites and news organizations have brought up this same issue. Will it be properly looked into? Nope. I sure wish it would though. Especially by the people of PA. Also, I don’t feel that any state should allow nonresidents to vote AT ALL, even if they own property or businesses there. To me it’s outsiders influencing something that only affects their wallets. But states are going to do what states want to do. That’s how the law is set up. Thankfully I live in a state where only residents can vote.
Openminded
Thank you for checking and confirming that PA does not allow non resident voting in any form. That was the first sentence in my first comment. (Although, I didn’t mean it as if you had to do the research for me) From what you have reported, I have to agree that it looks like he voted unfairly and illegally.
Not meaning to stir this pot any more but this is what drives much of the Republicans voter I.D. laws. Better I.D. requirements with better pre election background verification of actual voting eligibility will create better elections that express the will of the actual voters in each voting district.
As a property owner in 2 other states, I have to disagree with your stand that I shouldn’t be allowed to vote there due to “outsider influences”. By owning the property, I don’t see myself as an outsider. If some nut job is running for city council and wants to shut down rental properties or AirBnB’s, that action directly affects me and my investments, along with what my tax dollars pay for. Believe me when I say, the hotel industry is attempting to shut down BnB’s in all large cities.
James
HE IS A COMPLETE HOMOPHOBE.
The only gay people he ever has on his show are those with AIDS and those who are members of ex gay groups. NEVER A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL OF A GAY PEROSN ON HIS SHOW.
Mr. Stadnick
Until now I thought he was just some sort of TV quack that Oprah pushed but now I see he must be a homophobic racist if he wants to run as a republican. Heil Oprah
Kangol2
Given his immense name recognition Dr. Oz should probably be taken very, very seriously by the Democrats, and if he starts spouting enough MAGA/Don the Con/Q-razy crapola, he probably will win the Republican primary, and then all bets are off. A homophobe with some extreme or wacky views, he shouldn’t be anywhere near the US Senate. It looks like it will be up to Philadelphia and its suburbs, Pittsburgh and its suburbs, and some other pockets across Pennsylvania to prevent this nut from heading to the US Senate with a “R” behind his name.
barryaksarben
HE is a giant pos yet all it takes to win a republican nomination is to be famous. They are rubes. they are the sideshow they think they are watching
Thad
Pennsylvania’s Senate primary should be quite a show. But John Fetterman, former lieutenant governor, is running on the Democratic side and will likely win the whole thing. He began as mayor of Braddock, a depressed small town near Pittsburgh that had four times the population ninety years ago. Fetterman is unique, no-nonsense, beloved in Allegheny County and liked statewide
Fahd
His show jumped the shark ages ago, so hey what does the narcissist do next (see Caityln)?
Let´s hope that early on he´s exposed for the hateful, empty vessel he is, and a Republican with less name-recognition emerges from the primary. Let good sense prevail, and also, I hope the Republicans haven’t been able to rig the election process in Pennsylvania as they are trying to do in so many other states.
Meanwhile, it does seem Oprah should have some explaining to do.
Sanjo
I wonder what his take is on Lauren Boebert describing Muslim Congressional Representatives as jihad terrorists.
Jim
Hey if it makes her money what does she care ?
She should have read him the riot act with his first support for questionable treatments.
SHE is responsible for anyone who listened to this quack and was harmed.
That includes Covid DEATHS!!!!
Cam
He’s anti-Vaxx, of course he’s a Republican.