Yes, J.D. Vance sucks in some ways, but so what?
Trump picked J.D. Vance as his VP, and some people are freaking out
So we now know who Trump’s VP pick is: J.D. Vance. Some people seem to be enthusiastic about him, but there also seems to be a sizable contingent of people who are not happy and are freaking out about it.
Let me deal with some of the main criticisms:
Vance is a Zionist.
Vance hated Trump back in 2016.
Vance said some very nasty things about Trump in 2016.
Vance is anti-China.
Yes, Vance is a Zionist. He has taken money from AIPAC, but what he has taken is less than others who were considered for the VP spot:
Trump himself is no better on the issues of Zionism, Israel, and the Gaza Holocaust. So, if you are voting for Trump anyway, I don’t see Vance’s pro-Zionist tendencies as being a show-stopper. Also, who isn’t on AIPAC’s payroll that Trump could have picked? Is there anybody? Rand Paul, perhaps? I can’t think of anybody else.
Vance is not going to make Trump more pro-Israel than he already is; that would be impossible. So, if Trump is elected again, you are likely going to see weapons and money still funneled to Israel. However, there is an odd chance that Trump might surprise on this somehow after he takes office. Call it a gut feeling on my part, but Trump might not behave predictably after he takes office, but we will have to wait and see what happens.
But what about Vance back in 2016? It’s true that he was no fan of Trump, and pretty much despised him. So what? So did many other people on the right who assumed that Trump was not serious, would be a left-winger, or whatever the reason was for disliking him. Vance was far from alone in his disdain for Trump. But four years of Trump and then watching the political persecution of Trump by the Deep State changed a lot of minds, including Vance’s. Trump obviously doesn’t care about what Vance said in the past, so why worry about it now?
On the upside for Vance, he’s been very skeptical about Ukraine. He also tried to block the $60 billion Ukrainian money-laundering bill in the Senate. This has put him at odds with the Mitch McConnell wing of the Republican Party to a certain degree, and Vance being picked for VP has scared the crap out of the Ukrainians for obvious reasons. Will Vance still be anti-Ukraine if he becomes vice president in November? Who knows? We have to wait and see.
On the downside, Vance seems to have a stick up his ass about China, though not to the same degree as some other Republicans. He’s made remarks about Taiwan, chips, etc., and introduced some anti-Chinese legislation. I’m not thrilled about any of it, but Vance seems to be about on par with most of imperial Washington regarding China. So I don’t think he’s going to push anything that they already wouldn’t want to do anyway, even if he wasn’t vice president.
My preference is that the US find ways to work with China whenever possible. The cold-war mentality and constant portrayal of China as an enemy are stupid and, ultimately, self-defeating. However, Trump and Vance aren’t likely to be any worse than another Biden term when it comes to China. Biden hates XI, and I’m sure XI has no use for Biden either. Perhaps Trump can at least cut some deals with China and deescalate some of the anti-Chinese sentiment in the imperial capital of Washington, DC.
So am I thrilled about J.D. Vance as VP? Nope, not at all. In some ways, I think he stinks royally. He is, however, arguably the best of the bad lot that Trump had to choose from when picking a VP. Then again, as my regular readers know, I have long had issues with Trump himself. I have no illusions about who Trump is or what he might do if put back in office.
However, because of the assassination attempt on Trump, I have decided to put those issues aside and vote for Trump anyway in November to stick it to the Deep State. There is no other way for the average person to smack the Deep State upside the head than to vote for Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance. Even if Trump does nothing whatsoever directly against the Deep State, his mere presence in the White House for another four years will make them all miserable and fearful.
Love him or hate him, J.D. Vance is part of the Trump deal now, so get used to it.
Remember also that politics is a shit sandwich and that you will never get everything you want from any candidate for office. So suck it up, hold your nose, and go vote for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in November.
UPDATE: Politico has a decent profile of Vance that is worth reading:
Former President Donald Trump has picked a running mate in his own populist mold — one who called for breaking up Google, pushed for tighter regulations on big banks and railroads, and has even proposed raising taxes on university endowments and corporate mergers.
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance is also one of Capitol Hill’s most ardently protectionist Republicans, who has supported raising tariffs, blocking foreign mergers and reducing the value of the U.S. dollar to protect domestic manufacturers from rivals like China.
Vance’s departures from the GOP’s Paul Ryan-style orthodoxy — at least on some issues — may cause heartburn for industry groups longing for a return to the party’s insistence on lessening Washington’s interference with big business. But they mesh with much of Trump’s own agenda during his first term, which launched trade wars and filed antitrust lawsuits aimed at Silicon Valley, even if Trump also gifted businesses with a corporate tax cut and a broad assault on regulations.
Like Trump, Vance is also a harsh critic of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
And like virtually every Republican office-holder in Washington, he’s an outspoken supporter of increased oil and gas drilling — a stance that can only help Trump’s chances across the Ohio border in Pennsylvania, a fracking hotbed.
The new prospective vice presidential nominee is also very much in line with the conservative crusade against affirmative action, protester encampments on campus and alleged elitism in education.
How you can support my writing
Please share this post
Thank you; your support keeps me writing and helps me to pay for rent, electricity, food, car payment and insurance, heat, and other necessities.
All contributions from readers are greatly appreciated. 👍🏻 💀
Thomas Massie
I actually voted for Vance, for one reason and one reason only--he was opposed to the Ukraine War while his Democrat opponent, Tim Ryan, was all for the war. It's the first and only time I ever voted for a Republican for Senate.
Vance delivered on that one thing for me, he has wisely retreated on abortion, and I think he remembers where he came from. He did write a book about that, which I read.
Trump could have picked FAR worse than JD Vance. Rubio springs to mind.