Now that we've had a little while to digest the news, I wanted to take a moment to reflect with you on Donald Trump's selection of Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate. There really wasn't anyone on the shortlist who would have been an overly problematic choice and Vance is no exception. There were some who might have brought a bit more to the table, but he should be ready to hit the ground running if they are elected. Still, I found myself being at least a little surprised. Rumors had been spreading yesterday morning that Trump had been overheard saying "She'll be ready," suggesting the pick would be one of a handful of females, but those either turned out to be false or Trump changed his mind at the eleventh hour. I briefly debated with Ed over whether the pick might have been Elise Stefanik because Trump has been making noises about possibly carrying New York, but that wasn't destined to be the case. Here's the take from The American Conservative, where Vance is viewed as being a solid choice.
The former President Donald Trump announced Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his Vice President running mate on Monday, following months of speculation.
Vance, 39, not only brings youth to the ticket but also populist ideological bonafides to bolster Trump’s campaign. Trump’s son, Don Jr., was a vocal advocate for Vance in the final run-up to the announcement as other VP hopefuls including Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl) faded.
The selection by Trump solidifies Vance as the ideological heir to the MAGA doctrine going forward. Should the Trump ticket win in November, Vance would become the 50th Vice President of the United States and one of the youngest.
First and foremost, Vance was obviously picked because he's from Ohio. The Buckeye State will once again be critical in November and the race will probably be close. Running mates rarely sway very many voters, but Vance enjoys at least some measure of bipartisan support there. Any wavering Ohio voters will probably at least be more comfortable with the ticket with him onboard.
Vance drives the left crazy with his continued statements about his strong Christian faith. That's not a negative at this point because none of them were going to vote for Trump anyway. He brings military experience to the post, which is important, particularly if he goes on to run for President in 2028. He also has at least some legislative experience in the Senate and has successfully wrestled through legislation with bipartisan support in the past. He could prove a valuable adviser in Donald Trump's ear if they have any trickly bills they're trying to drive through.
If elected, J.D. Vance would be among the youngest vice presidents to hold the office. That's something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it would be nice if he had a bit more direct experience before being handed a stack of policy initiatives to take charge of by Trump. But this also means that when Trump's term is up, he would likely be the default choice as the next GOP nominee. He would still be in his early forties, and nobody is going to be questioning his cognitive abilities or stamina.
I will just add one final point, though it will be meaningless to all but the most hardcore trivia buffs out there. It's been a long time since we've had a president with a beard. (Benjamin Harrison was the last one.) It might be nice to bring that fashion trend back into style. Of course, I'm getting very far ahead of myself here. We still have an election to win, with much work to be done yet and the stakes could not be higher. But knowing that we now have Donald Trump and J.D. Vance established as the team that will carry the ball for us, I'm feeling at least a bit more confident than I was a few months ago.
