John Fetterman uses Snooki to tweak Dr. Oz on his New Jersey residency
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A video posted by an MTV "Jersey Shore" reality star to Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is the political talk of the day.
As KDKA political editor Jon Delano reports, the video was the brainchild of Democrat John Fetterman's social media team.
Nicole Polizzi, better known as Snooki, is one of the best-known stars on "Jersey Shore," based, of course, in New Jersey.
"Hey, Mehmet. This is Nicole, Snooki," the video begins.
In a 47-second video arranged by the Fetterman campaign, Snooki addresses Oz, one New Jersey celebrity to another.
"I heard that you moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to look for a new job. And personally, I don't know why anyone would want to leave Jersey," Snooki said.
The video, now seen by over 2.5 million people, tweaks Oz for leaving New Jersey for Pennsylvania to run for Senate, but Snooki wishes him well.
"I know you're away from home and in a new place, but Jersey will not forget you. I just want to let you know. And I will not forget you. And don't worry because you will be back in Jersey soon. This is only temporary," Snooki said.
"We have a really creative team, and John has always been creative on his social media. And we have a team that leads in that example. We believe in having fun," Giselle Fetterman, the wife of Democratic nominee John Fetterman, told KDKA-TV on Friday.
She said the campaign was just encouraging a laugh by using Cameo, a service where you can pay a celebrity to send a message. But there's obviously a political point.
Delano: "Is this really an important issue in the campaign?"
Giselle: "It is. I'm very proud to live in Pennsylvania. I want my senator to be a resident of Pennsylvania. I think that's something all Pennsylvanians should care about."
Although Oz still has his home in New Jersey, earlier this year he bought a $3 million home in suburban Philadelphia and he has voted from his nearby in-laws home since 2020.
The Oz campaign did not want to comment on Snooki's video but did retweet it, suggesting to some that Oz appreciated the humor.
"Jersey loves you," Snooki said to Oz, throwing him a big kiss.
Of course, the real question is does Pennsylvania love Oz more than John? We shall find out in just over 16 weeks.