The Daily Think

With a recent speech from Nikki Haley calling for competency tests for politicians over 75, it calls to mind the phrase “Fit to Serve.” There is no specific legal definition or requirement for “fit to serve” in the context of federal government positions in the United States. However, there are certain legal qualifications and standards that must be met for individuals seeking or holding public office. But The phrase “fit to serve” in the context of American politicians refers to an individual’s qualifications, character, and ability to effectively perform the duties of the elected position they are seeking or holding.

Under the microscope are two men who were recently elected to their positions at the federal level. U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman and George Santos of the 3rd Congressional District of New York. Are they fit to serve is the central question, but for different reasons.

JOHN FETTERMAN, US SENATOR

John Fetterman from Pennsylvania is the giant from Pennsylvania (tied for tallest Senator ever) who won election in November 2022 as the democratic candidate against Mehmet Oz in a hotly contested senate race. During the campaign, he suffered a stroke in May of 2022 and was visibly different before and after that event. We don’t want to discuss his personal ailments here, but to be clear, the stroke happened six months before election day and throughout the campaign, Fetterman had to reduce his public appearances and when he was seen, had difficulty giving speeches at rallies. To his credit, John Fetterman worked hard to secure his victory in November and defeated Oz. Relying on a career in politics of 20 years and after serving as Lieutenant Governor, Fetterman’s record for politics was never in question.

GEORGE SANTOS, US CONGRESSMEN

In November of 2022, Republican George Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman for the 3rd Congressional District of New York (Long Island area.) George had run previously in 2018 and lost, but when the Democratic incumbent Thomas Suozzi decided to run for governor of NY against Kathy Hochul. This left the opportunity for George to campaign with full strength until Zimmerman finally entered his name into the race. Leading up to the election, Zimmerman warned that Santos “might actually be able to win just by avoiding discussing his own record.” Despite the warnings, despite the lack of political pedigree, and running on a “stop the steal” campaign, on election day, Santos won by 8% and many pundits called it a “mild upset” but more importantly helped give control of the House back to Republicans.

THEY WON BUT ARE THEY FIT TO SERVE?

Within 40 days of taking his job in the Senate, John Fetterman checked himself into a hospital in February 2023, describing feelings of “light-headedness” but unrelated to his stroke in 2022. A little over a week later he then checked himself into Walter Reed Hospital for Clinical Depression. Neither of these instances are enough to question Senator Fetterman’s fit to serve, but was he physically fit to serve and did the electorate know that before November? Was it responsible to vote him in knowing that the stresses of the job were going to lead to future mental and physical challenges?

George Santos on the other hand began under very tumultuous circumstances. After the election, a series of lies came to light from his family’s wealth to his charitable work. Additionally, his resume came under suspicion as previous roles were questioned and found out to be falsified. His religious beliefs, his claims of being a Latino Jew/American Jew (nicely called out by Tulsi Gabbard on Fox News) and more falsehoods about his education continued to surface. The Internet obviously took up those lies and ran with it making him a highly scrutinized member of Congress. But he refuses to step aside, and the main leadership wing of the Republican party refuses to question or call him out since he secured Kevin McCarthy’s appointment to Speaker of the House, George continues to sit in the seat.

FUTURE OF FIT TO SERVE

Although there is no explicit documentation on being “Fit to Serve” there is certainly a reasonable expectation. As Americans, we have seen celebrities, athletes, and entertainers take every office including the White House. But with the growing importance and shift to political cultism, there is a need to be aware of who we are voting for and what said individuals could be bringing to their roles. Unfortunately for Senator Fetterman, his choice to continue running while his own health may have been compromised from before the election leading to his inability to be a Senator only after 40 days. Congressman Santos on the other hand is under question marks for his overall ability to be trusted.

Voters need to consider who more than ever, and quit relying on the Little “R” or “D” next to the name of the candidates on the ballot.