And then he lost. Only four percentage points, but a loss nonetheless.
It was a rare and very public failure for a man whose life has been marked by success in many areas. Oz had left a lucrative television career, a renowned medical practice and his North Jersey rectory, and invested $27 million of his own wealth in the campaign, only to be relentlessly mocked online as an intruder with a dubious recipe. crudités – and, in Pennsylvania, for using that word.
At 62, what will Oz do next? The campaign did not respond to requests for comment. In his concession statement, Oz offered few ideas other than, “I hope we begin the healing process soon as a nation.”
A return to surgery and teaching medicine seems unlikely. In the spring, Oz ended his longtime ties to Columbia University, where he is now professor emeritus and a special lecturer at the medical center, titles used for retired faculty members. Columbia officials declined to comment further.
Money may not be the main motivator, although he is extremely good at accumulating wealth. According to his campaign financial disclosure report, Oz is worth between $100 million and $422 million.
Political insiders note that Oz’s candidacy was hampered by running on the same ticket as gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, a 2020 election denier who supported banning abortion and lost of 14 points. And there’s Oz’s embrace of Trump, whose candidates performed poorly in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Does the second act of Oz in politics have a second act? If so, where and how will he stage it? “There’s definitely a chance he’ll be a leader in Pennsylvania if he chooses that,” Republican media strategist Charlie Gerow said.
“Oz could spend the next few years here, volunteering and becoming part of the community to overcome this foreign identity, which more than any other factor was his greatest weakness,” said Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public. Opinion.
Even then, it might be difficult for Oz to overcome Pennsylvania voters’ preference for politicians whose the first acts happened in the Commonwealth – no matter how many pressing, Wawa-and-Sheetz and chicken/cheesesteak/pierogi photo ops the famous doctor is ready to swallow. The underdog status is “just hard for him to overcome,” Borick said. “If there was no one else online, maybe.”
But there is someone others on line. If Oz decides to make another Senate run in Pennsylvania in 2024, when With incumbent Democrat Robert P. Casey Jr.’s three-term seat up, he could well face a long and costly rematch in this year’s GOP primary against hedge fund CEO David McCormick, whom Oz has barely beaten and remains popular with Republican leaders. Here’s a thought: Could Oz be trying to keep his political career afloat in…New Jersey?
“It’s not impossible,” Borick said. “But you can only imagine the Democratic ads targeting him for the move.”
He could return to TV, which made Oz famous enough to run for office in the first place. However, he may find the environment a little colder than when he decamped.
Daytime television aims to appeal to the masses, and Oz “now has a big problem because he went all-in MAGA,” said Matthew Baum, professor of communications at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
“Doctors have more confidence among Americans. He kind of threw in the towel in a big way when he became a strong partisan politician,” Baum said. “It’s kind of a fundamental breach of that trust. He crossed that line decisively.
Oz’s views on abortion, a major midterm issue among Democratic voters, may be particularly alienating to potential consumers of Oz content. “His health brand is dead,” said Christopher Balfe, partner at Red Seat Ventures, a media consultant specializing in conservative media. “You don’t consider Mehmet Oz a doctor. You consider him a Republican.
“Once you come out as a Republican, there’s no turning back. The mainstream daytime TV audience is closed to him,” Balfe said. “He must choose another path.”
There are, of course, American television forums where celebrities can ponder their politics. “A component of the conservative media is made up of older Americans,” Balfe said. “There might be interest.”
Oz could try to become a fixture on conservative channels such as Fox News, where he made frequent appearances on Sean Hannity’s show. “He’s obviously a compelling TV personality,” Balfe said. “He could do well with a podcast.”
“I might even imagine a new venture for Oz,” Baum said. “It wouldn’t be easy to win back the trust of non-conservatives, but in the huge television ecosystem, he could have a very lucrative career with one foot in politics, one foot in entertainment.”
For a man with the prowess of Oz to woo advertisers and the audience, there are a lot of possible next acts. Even if they don’t take place in Washington.
Again, Oz could be anywhere.
