The Atlantic
The Left’s Answer to Trump Is 6 Foot 8 and Wears Shorts in February
There’s never been a statewide politician like John Fetterman. Now he’s a front-runner for the U.S. Senate.
Updated at 2:30 p.m. ET on March 11, 2020.
BRADDOCK, Pa. John Fetterman didn’t grow up with anyone who had a biker-bar bouncer’s chin beard or who wore work shirts and shorts in February. He didn’t grow up committed to LGBTQ rights and legalizing marijuana and a living wage. The Pennsylvania lieutenant governor and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate didn’t grow up dreaming of being a senator, or expecting to fail an exercise at Harvard’s Kennedy School because he refused to present a solution for how best to cut Social Security. He certainly didn’t anticipate serving as a stand-in for the Big Show when the wrestler made an appearance here (though at 6 foot 8, Fetterman is actually a few inches taller than he is). Fetterman has a weird life. He chose it because of the ver