The excitement was muted quite a bit by his stroke. At the time of the primary and for most of the general it wasn’t clear if he was even going to be able to serve. He didn’t even do unprepared speaking until a month before the election. There was definitely some campaigning that Giselle puppeting him or a special election was better than 6 years of Oz.

But you’re right that pre-strike lots of people were excited about his likely win.