John Fetterman accidentally calls himself a 'lifelong Republican'

It happened at the Texas Tribune Festival, of all places. John Fetterman took the stage, opened his mouth, and out came "lifelong Republican." The crowd laughed. He laughed. Then he corrected himself and said he misspoke. But here's the thing: that slip might be the most honest thing he has said all year.

Because Fetterman has been acting like a Republican on every issue that matters to normal people. He stands with Israel. He wants to secure the border. He told his own party to get over the "defund the police" fantasy. He refuses to bow to every activist demand that comes down the progressive pipeline. For a guy who wears hoodies and drives a pickup, being a Democrat seems like the real accident. The label is just a label. His instincts are more Main Street than MSNBC.

That is exactly why the left can't stand him. He is a Democrat who actually thinks, which turns out to be the left's worst nightmare. They want loyal foot soldiers, not independent voices. Watching him stumble into the truth might be the most entertainment we have gotten from a party that usually performs its talking points on autopilot.

We won't pretend we'd ever vote for him, and his ticket on a lot of policy is still wrong. But when a senator accidentally admits what everyone already sees, it is worth a grin. At least one of them can say it out loud.