Leading up to the one and only debate between John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz, many in the media went to bat hard for Fetterman, insisting that he wasn’t disabled in any way after suffering a major stroke this past spring. Many came down hard and relentlessly on NBC News reporter Dasha Burns, who had the temerity to say that Fetterman struggled to understand and answer her questions when she interviewed him for the only in-person interview he’d had since his stroke.
But once the debate was in the books and it was abundantly clear that Fetterman is not, in fact, OK, his white knights have shifted gears slightly and decided that, yes, Fetterman is disabled, but ackshually it’s good that he is and maybe even makes him deserve to be a U.S. Senator even more.
That’s definitely where the Washington Post is at right now:
Whatever voters ultimately decide at the polls, Fetterman’s performance marks something of a milestone for the disability community, which remains underrepresented at every level of elected office. https://t.co/P6VHWtpBju
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 27, 2022
Disability advocates say the debate revealed the ableism inherent in the electoral process and the added scrutiny that candidates with disabilities receive compared with their non-disabled counterparts. https://t.co/P9yDl20br5 pic.twitter.com/mh1Klu3AH7
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 27, 2022
Not sure why it’s somehow not “ableist” to tell someone who is wheelchair-bound or blind or armless or deaf that they’re disabled, but maybe we’re just not woke enough.
An analysis of politicians between 2013 to 2017 found that while the number of elected officials with disabilities went up, they are still underrepresented — making up 12% of politicians at the local level and about 6% at the state and federal level. https://t.co/P9yDl20br5
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 27, 2022
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OK … but John Fetterman isn’t physically disabled, at least not in any way that would prevent him from serving in office. His disabilities are cognitive, and, as difficult as it may be for the Washington Post to admit, it’s those cognitive impairments that should disqualify Fetterman from serving. It sucks, but it’s the way it is. If you’re struggling to process words and to get through a single sentence without losing your train of thought, you belong under medical care; not in the U.S. Senate.
– He's fine. Shut up Republicans
– He's got hearing loss. Shut up Republicans
– It's temporary. Shut up Republicans
– He's disabled. Shut up Republicans https://t.co/k5zysihlJq
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) October 27, 2022
WaPo — and too many other liberal outlets — are putting their loyalty to the Democratic Party far above common sense or even basic human decency (at this point, anyone continuing to push Fetterman forward in this race is effectively guilty of abuse). And what makes that even more infuriating is that they’d die before ever going to bat this hard for a Republican with a disability.
Yes WaPo, we've seen your advocacy for candidates with disabilities
You really made a big deal out of this guy, remember? pic.twitter.com/TS3RugRwEA
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) October 27, 2022
Did I miss the article where they praised the courage of wheelchair-bound Texas Governor Abbott?
— THE Crapplefratz (Accept no substitutes) (@Crapplefratz) October 27, 2022
Greg Abbott is physically — not mentally — disabled, but it’s always open season on him for the liberal media. Meanwhile, even look at Tammy Duckworth sideways and you’re a right-wing racist ableist.
But even if we totally remove politicians from the equation, when it comes to the disabled having value in society, the Washington Post doesn’t really have a leg to stand on:
The Washington Post: consistently concerned for the disability community. https://t.co/oszGJYLxR4 pic.twitter.com/o5QGQQGAFO
— Luke Thompson (@ltthompso) October 27, 2022
We need more disability representation … but also we need to abort them pic.twitter.com/ePw2c1Rso5
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) October 27, 2022
Also, you know, there's kind of a difference between a genetic condition & having a stroke because you spent years on end not taking your meds & not seeing a doctor https://t.co/O5qvJSw9zp
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) October 27, 2022
Not that we’re keeping track or anything.
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