The biggest surprise of last week's Republican midterm convention began with an audacious request from the organizers to GOP Sen. Dave McCormick: Could he get Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, a fellow Pennsylvanian, to make an appearance?
Why it matters: Fetterman's 64-second video — calling himself a "common-sense Democrat," praising McCormick and vowing to work with President Trump to defend Pennsylvania's steel industry — represented Fetterman's biggest break yet with his party.
Behind the scenes: According to three sources familiar with the talks, the idea for Fetterman to make the appearance emerged over the summer, as organizers of the Dallas convention sought what they called an "Oh sh*t" moment.
Zoom in: Sayegh, a friend of McCormick's, took the idea to him in July.
The intrigue: McCormick approached Fetterman carefully, knowing the backlash his Democratic colleague could face if he agreed to a role in the GOP convention.
The two senators hashed it out over calls and texts for a few days.
There was brief talk of Fetterman traveling to Dallas to introduce McCormick in person, but he decided against it.
Fetterman didn't use a script. He riffed in front of the camera.
Organizers saw Fetterman's appearance as a jolt that would draw eyeballs to the first-of-its-kind midterm convention — and play big on social media.
The bottom line: Fetterman's appearance at Trump's convention deepened his estrangement from the Democratic Party.
