By Carol Lucas
Does Donald Trump’s vice presidential choice of J.D. Vance change the dynamic of the race in November? Only time will tell, but one thing is very apparent: this choice does not appeal to independent voters, or even traditional Republican voters.
It is no stretch to say that Vance is MAGA on steroids, and his stance on abortion alone should scare the hell out of every woman in the country.
Just a little bit about his posture on this critical issue. First of all, he supports a national ban with no exceptions. When questioned in an interview about whether or not women should have a right to get an abortion if they were victims of rape or incest, he belittled the trauma, said that society shouldn’t view a pregnancy or birth resulting from rape or incest as an “inconvenience.” He argued that when it came to such exceptions, “two wrongs don’t make a right”—meaning that while it was “wrong” to inflict rape or incest upon a girl or woman, it would be a second “wrong” to permit the abortion. (Jay Kuo)
If you have daughters or granddaughters or if you yourself could become pregnant, as a result of rape, your blood should boil at this arrogance.
So why would Trump pick someone as a running mate who is the antithesis of vice-President Mike Pence, conspicuously absent from the convention? To understand this “thumbing of the nose” at moderation, one needs to look at those who represent the inner circle.
I believe it is no stretch to say that far-right radicalism has overtaken the Republican party. Simply look at the other two men (note: not a woman) who were in the running. Governor Doug Burgman, virtually unknown but certainly establishment GOP; and Marco Rubio, (you remember “little Marco”). Either of these men would have offered some tamping down of the rhetoric that seems to permeate Trump’s campaign; yet both were denied the VP spot, something that may, upon reflection, be seen as a mistake.
One commentator observed that the choosing of the person for the VP spot was somewhat akin to Trump’s Apprentice-like reality show, everyone eagerly waiting with bated breath for the announcement. It makes one wonder if Burgum and Rubio received texts simply saying, “You’re fired!”
For decades we have seen that the position of vice president is one in the governmental hierarchy whose main duty it is to stand by in the event something happens to the president. They sometimes go around the country making speeches if there is a piece of legislation that needs hyping, but overall their place is truly secondary. Rarely is this person an extremist.
But now we have a true radical on the Republican ticket. By choosing this man rather than either of the other two in the running, the party has effectively declared itself devoid of any of the morals so many undecided voters are seeking. Rubio would surely have garnered some of the Latino vote, and Burgum could have soothed the savage beast by representing the Old Guard Republicans.
Again, it was Jay Kuo who observed that “Vance is simply Trump with better grammar!”
There are many reasons to see Vance as a threat. For one, he has pledged he would do what Mike Pence wouldn’t – overturn an election and illegally seize power. He has refused to say he will accept the results of the 2024 election, but then so has Trump. It causes one to ask whether or not we must gird ourselves for January 6 redoux?
Secondly, Vance has made clear his support for Putin and where he stands against Ukraine. And then there is the issue of Project 2025 and what it intends for our country. Both of these are topics for another day.
Finally, there is the matter of telling the truth, something that seems to be problematic for the Republican ticket. Vance (or James Donald Bowman, or James Donald Hamel — pick one) who wants to lean heavily on his Appalachian roots is not from Appalachia. Yes, his family traces their roots back to Jackson, Ky., but he was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, 30 miles north of Cincinnati. Population 51,000-plus.
So why J.D. Vance, and will there be repercussions?
It was said that Trump, himself, was leaning toward Burgum. However, sons Don Jr. and Eric, who see Vance as some kind of hero, insisted on J.D.
It was NBC who reported the following:
“The conversation quickly turned tense when the former president indicated that he was leaning toward Doug Burgum, until recently the largely unknown governor of North Dakota — but someone whose low-maintenance, no-drama personality would never threaten to outshine Trump.
“That’s when Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump chimed in.
“‘Don Jr. and Eric went bats— crazy: Why would you do something so stupid? He offers us nothing,’ a longtime Republican operative familiar with the discussion told NBC News.
“They were basically all like ‘J.D., J.D., J.D.,’ the operative said.
“What I find fascinating about this report is the observation of ‘why’ Trump was leaning toward Burgum … ‘he would never threaten to outshine Trump.’”
On that note, let the games begin!
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
