Ohio used to be the state that could decide a close presidential election. These days, it’s Pennsylvania. As Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Penn., pointed out in a recent Substack Live conversation with The Argument, the Keystone State’s swings have closely mirrored the ebbs and flows of the national electorate in recent cycles.
“I mean, if you look at the national popular vote and you look at the vote in the presidential races, it’s remarkable how similar it’s been,” the self-declared “Pennsylvania Supremacist” said. “I firmly believe that we’re the most important state when it comes to politics nationally. And certainly that’s been the case the last decade.”
Any conversation on Pennsylvania’s mercurial politics will inevitably turn to the fickle partisanship of Sen. John Fetterman, who was elected as a darling of the Democratic Party’s left wing but has lately hinted at switching parties — going so far as speaking at the Republican midterm convention to praise his Republican counterpart, Sen. Dave McCormick. This has fueled some concern that even if Democrats win enough seats to take the Senate — an outcome that The Argument/Split Ticket election model gives a 60% chance — Fetterman could keep the chamber in Republican hands.
Boyle acknowledged this possibility, but noted he was more concerned over recent reporting that suggested Fetterman was failing to consistently perform some of his duties as an elected official.
“I have had a number of groups come into my office, some of whom are not necessarily Democratic-leaning groups, by the way, and express their frustration at not being able to even get a meeting with or get any sort of response whatsoever from Sen. Fetterman,” Boyle said.
“We were much more seduced, or maybe enthralled, with kind of the character that John Fetterman played on TV,” he added.
Watch the video above to check out the full conversation, touching on Boyle’s analysis of this cycle’s critical House races in Pennsylvania, his take on Kamala Harris passing over Gov. Josh Shapiro as running mate, and his plans for after this election cycle.
