A lot of people hoped that Governor Mike DeWine would replace J.D. Vance in the Senate with Vivek Ramaswamy. 

I was not among them. 

Instead, Jon Husted will be headed to Washington, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief. 

DeWine passes over Ramaswamy, will select Jon Husted for Senate https://t.co/LwOTWbSR4G

— POLITICO (@politico) January 17, 2025

Husted is currently the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, and is something of a Mike DeWine clone, only younger and better looking. 

Gov. Mike DeWine has selected his own Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to become the next senator from Ohio, passing over entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Two sources, granted anonymity to speak freely about the appointment, confirmed that DeWine will pick Husted.

DeWine is expected to make the announcement at 1p.m.

Husted, a Republican more in DeWine’s institutionalist mold, had long planned to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine. His ascent to the Senate will likely scramble the field in that race.

Ramaswamy learned mid-morning Friday he would not be the pick, according to a person familiar with the discussion and granted anonymity to describe it.

I am not a Mike DeWine fan, although he is far from the worst governor in America. He is an old-style Republican and didn't exactly cover himself in glory during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as Mike Pence went all-in on the Fauci worship, DeWine was in the "trust the experts" class of governors whom I found repulsive. 

So why am I happy that Hustad was chosen over Ramaswamy? After all, Ramaswamy would have been a far better Senator by most standards, at least ideologically. 

Simple: it would be a waste of talent. The U.S. Senate is not really the best place for energetic, intellectually dynamic, and highly competent people. Not that more such people wouldn't be a great addition every once in a while, but I would rather have ideologically solid but stolid people there. Hustad is more the latter than the former, but such is life. I could wish for a more ideologically sympatico Senator, but think that Ramaswamy will be much more useful to the cause at DOGE. 

Even if DOGE winds up accomplishing only 10-20% of its potential, it will make an enormous contribution to the vitality of America and begin the transformation of our government into something closer to barely competent. If it accomplishes 50% it will be miraculous, both in achieving the impossible (like catching a rocket out of thin air after it shot up to space) and transforming both the government and the country. 

I want Ramaswamy laser-focused on doing that job, not wasting his time around people like Adam Schiff, Chuck Schumer., Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.  

Let a plodder do that. We could do better than Husted, but at least no major talent is being wasted. 

Then there is the possibility that Ramaswamy could run for governor of Ohio, a job for which he is much better suited and through which he could accomplish much more, rather than having to be a toady to John Thune. 

Can you imagine Vivek stomaching that?

I don't know if Vivek wanted the job, but even if he wanted it badly, I am thrilled that he didn't get it. America needs him where he is right now.