In February 2022, the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee convened to interview, vet, and nominate candidates for the open positions of governor, lieutenant governor, and U.S. Senate.  While exigent circumstances prevented endorsement (on the Democrat side as well) of the thirty-some candidates, contenders emerged.

One candidate stood out.  He personally texted and followed up via text, then called and communicated multiple times.  He asked questions and listened, and texted some more.  He remembered the name of each individual with whom he interacted, crisscrossed the state, sometimes in a single day, and kept every speaking engagement to which he had committed — arriving always on time and enthusiastically.

He arrived at Republican events without a retinue, typically accompanied only by his wife, Lisa.

So, before President Trump even endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz for U.S. Senate, Dr. Oz had already garnered a wide and widely diverse Republican following.  (In Pennsylvania, primary voters can vote for only the candidates from the party in which they are enrolled.)

Many of us had never seen a Dr. Oz television show.  Our introduction to Oz, therefore, was not one of starry-eyed fans groveling, nor was it groups of "wannabes" looking for a gateway to fame and fortune.  Rather, our first and subsequent meetings were of equals — professional politicos looking for a winning candidate.

We subsequently learned that Oz cared as much about a group at the Convention Center who could not vote for him that weekend as for those who could.  During the evening, a housekeeper named Rosa asked Oz for his autograph and photo.  Before he could comply, Rosa was whisked away to meet a customer's request.  Despite having to give a speech and mingle with State Committee people, Dr. Oz slipped out many times until he found Rosa and took pictures with her and every other employee on duty.

Those of us who have had the opportunity to meet Mehmet Oz know why President Trump endorsed him:

1. Dr. Oz is a compassionate and caring man.
2. Dr. Oz is an extremely hard worker.  Nobody outworks Dr. Oz.
3. Dr. Oz has a long list of successes as a surgeon and a doctor, an author, a television personality — in all, a winning résumé.
4. Dr. Oz is brilliant, but he is humble.
5. Dr. Oz genuinely likes people.
6. Dr. Oz is a great family man, with not a hint of personal scandal.
7. Dr. Oz is kind but strong — strong enough to turn the other cheek to avoid a meaningless fight.
8. Dr. Oz keeps his word and his commitments, even when it means crisscrossing Pennsylvania without sleep.
9. Dr. Oz is sufficiently financially independent that he cannot be bought by special interests.
10. Dr. Oz does not run away from tough issues.
11. Dr. Oz will not let us down.  Like Trump, he cares what people think of him, and he will keep his campaign promises.
12. Trump did a great job for us.  He believes that Dr. Oz will as well.

Like Trump, Mehmet Oz has never pandered on the campaign trail.  He doesn't dumb down his language.  He speaks to crowds as an adult, talking with other adults.  Dr. Oz has had a target on his back since day one because other candidates perceive him as their largest threat.  Yet he has been unflappable, refusing to respond with personal attacks, only defending with the truth.

Image: World Economic Forum.