Of all the stories that could’ve led off Friday’s CNN This Morning, the one that the cast settled on was Oprah Winfrey endorsing John Fetterman in Pennsylvania’s Senate race with co-host Don Lemon desperately trying to suggest it all mattered.
Lemon kicked things off by hyping “Oprah Winfrey, Oprah, snubbing the man she turned into a household name. Endorsing John Fetterman over Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania's very, very tight Senate race.”
After an unrelated clip of former President Trump in Iowa, Lemon continued trying to make the Oprah-Fetterman endorsement a big deal, “Let's start now, Jessica Dean live from Montgomery County, just outside of Philadelphia. So good morning to you. It's interesting because Oprah helped to make Dr. Oz famous but now she's endorsing his opponent, John Fetterman. Do you think it's going to swing any votes?”
In defiance of Betteridge's law of headlines, Dean suggested that it might:
Look, it's rare that a celebrity endorsement or really any endorsement can really move the needle in a major way but as you mentioned this is an incredibly tight race, everyone's looking for any edge they can get on both sides. So the Fetterman campaign and John Fetterman himself quite delighted to have this endorsement.
And look, as you mentioned, there's a personal connection here. Oprah, of course, making Dr. Oz a household name, backing his television show, having her on his television show. So the fact that she would come out and support Fetterman is significant.
After playing an audio snippet of Oprah and reading Oz’s response, Dean again tried to play up the importance of the news. This isn’t just another instance of a Democrat endorsing a Democrat, “And worth noting as well, Oprah has weighed in and endorsed other Democratic candidates in close races but again, not that real personal connection that exists in this one. That’s what really makes this unique.”
Following Dean’s report, Lemon reported that one of those candidates, North Carolina’s Cheri Beasley, would be on later in the show. He was also awed by Oprah’s language, “I think that that's pretty strong coming from Oprah. ‘If I lived in Pennsylvania I would have already cast my ballot for someone, for John Fetterman for many reasons.’”
Later in the hour, Lemon was dismayed when Frank Luntz told him that Betteridge is inflexible because she is “A self-made person who made actually made Dr. Oz into a celebrity.”
As for that interview with Beasley, Lemon asked what she makes of the endorsement to which she responded by declaring that Oprah “rocks,” but that she was focused on North Carolinians.
This segment was sponsored by Liberty Mutual.
Here is a transcript for the November 4 show:
CNN This Morning
11/4/2022
6:01 AM ET
DON LEMON: But this is where we’re going to begin, the big headlines from the campaign trail this morning just days from the midterms. Oprah Winfrey, Oprah, snubbing the man she turned into a household name. Endorsing John Fetterman over Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania's very, very tight Senate race. It comes as the closers from both parties hit the campaign trail.
President Joe Biden addressing the economy. His predecessor teasing another run for the White House.
DONALD TRUMP: In order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again. Okay. Very, very, very probably. Get ready, that's all I'm telling you. Very soon. Get ready. Get ready.
LEMON: Our CNN team is on the trail in the final days of the campaign. Let's start now, Jessica Dean live from Montgomery County, just outside of Philadelphia. So good morning to you. It's interesting because Oprah helped to make Dr. Oz famous but now she's endorsing his opponent, John Fetterman. Do you think it's going to swing any votes?
JESSICA DEAN: Well, good morning to you, Don. Happy Friday, everybody. Look, it's rare that a celebrity endorsement or really any endorsement can really move the needle in a major way but as you mentioned this is an incredibly tight race, everyone's looking for any edge they can get on both sides. So the Fetterman campaign and John Fetterman himself quite delighted to have this endorsement.
And look, as you mentioned, there's a personal connection here. Oprah, of course, making Dr. Oz a household name, backing his television show, having her on his television show. So the fact that she would come out and support Fetterman is significant. I'll let you listen to what she had to say about it.
OPRAH WINFREY: You mentioned Pennsylvania. I have to say in this midterm campaign, I said it was up to the citizens of Pennsylvania, and, of course, but I will tell you all this, if I lived in Pennsylvania I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman for many reasons.
DEAN: Fetterman is saying in a statement that he is honored to get this endorsement and, again, any edge that they can get in the campaign they're going to take it. As for Mehmet Oz, this is the statement he released, his campaign released, I’ll read it to you. It said, “Dr. Oz loves Oprah and respects the fact they have different politics. He believes we need more balance and less extremism in Washington.”
And guys that is the message, the closing message, of course, we've heard again and again from Oz really casting himself as a moderate as someone who's going to go to Washington and be bipartisan. Fetterman, of course, trying to cast him as a fraud essentially in saying that he has lived here in Pennsylvania and is a person that will stand up for the people of Pennsylvania.
Those are, kind of, the dueling, closing messages here in the commonwealth.
And worth noting as well, Oprah has weighed in and endorsed other Democratic candidates in close races but again, not that real personal connection that exists in this one.
POPPY HARLOW: Right.
DEAN: That’s what really makes this unique.
LEMON: One of which, we’re going to have on the show a little bit later, but that, I think that is-- thank you very much, we appreciate that. “I think that that's pretty strong coming from Oprah. If I lived in Pennsylvania I would have already cast my ballot for someone, for John Fetterman--
HARLOW: For many reasons she said.
LEMON: For many reasons.”
KAITLAN COLLINS: Pretty classy response from Mehmet Oz, though, saying, someone who put her, she first put him on her show and that was his response.
LEMON: I don’t think you have an alternative. You can't condemn her.
COLLINS: Yeah, you can't condemn Oprah.
LEMON: No.
HARLOW: That doesn’t go well for anyone.
