Fetterman and the Forgotten: Dramatism and Democracy after January 6

Abstract

This essay argues that Lt. Governor John Fetterman (D-PA), in running for the open US Senate seat in Pennsylvania, is attempting to appeal to disaffected Trump voters, showing what the “forgotten men and women” of Pennsylvania might stand to gain by embracing his progressive, Democratic populist appeal. This study examines Fetterman’s announcement advertisement, “Launch,” illustrating how he figuratively and literally enacts Burkean “consubstantiality,” as the candidate not only speaks about and on behalf of the forgotten, but he also appears on camera with the history of Braddock tattooed on his body. Utilizing Burkean theory, we contend that Fetterman’s two-and-a-half-minute video follows the basic formula for Burke’s guilt-redemption cycle. In the wake of the failed insurrection, “Launch” offered the promise of rhetorical redemption through what Burke labeled victimage in the form of factional scapegoating. Additionally, midway through the video, the “Agent” and the “Scene” switch roles, in a unique symbolic move. The analysis concludes that, from Burke’s perspective of purification-redemption, Fetterman uses visuals, text, and context to appeal to an important audience for his candidacy.