Dear Commons Community,
The New York Times columnist, Maureen Dowd, had a piece yesterday commenting on the Vice Presidential Debate and specifically JD Vance’s performance. Entitled, “JD Smirks His Way Into the Future“, she makes no bones about the fact that Vance was auditioning as the leader of the Republican Party after the 2024 election assuming Kamala Harris wins. I saw the debate, and the same thought occurred to me. Vance was being Mr. Nice Guy to Tim Walz and to the TV audience, hoping they would forget his behavior as Trump’s running mate. Here is a excerpt.
“Unless you need to fake it to improve your favorability numbers — like Vance did in his debate against Tim Walz.
David Axelrod had predicted it would be a match between a Labrador retriever and a coyote. But there were two Labs onstage.
Vance’s performance was chilling. Once I thought Trump would be an aberration for Republicans. But on Tuesday night, I saw the future of the party and it was lies piled on lies, and darkness swallowing darkness.
Vance seemed like a replicant. There was no sign of the smarmy right-wing troll who said Harris “can go to hell” and told CNN’s Dana Bash that he created stories about migrants eating cats and dogs to dramatize a narrative that helps the Republican ticket. (A racist narrative.)
His views against abortion are adamantine and, until recently, he was an I.V.F. opponent. He has a bizarre, degrading view of the role of women in American society.
But on Tuesday night, he put on a mask of likability and empathy. “Christ have mercy, it is awful,” Vance said, looking down and shaking his head, when Walz told of his teenage son witnessing a shooting.
The chameleon brought back the JD Vance who was the darling of Hollywood, when “Hillbilly Elegy” was made into a movie, before he ambitiously code-switched into a Trumper. His wife, Usha, a debate adviser, helped him craft a persona that made him more palatable to women.
He was wily and deceptive in how he talked about abortion, stressing that women needed “options” and sending his love to an old friend who he said had had an abortion.
One woman in the CNN focus group was impressed with his empathy and talk of options, saying she was surprised and encouraged that Vance sounded so “progressive.”
But before the 40-year-old JD teamed up with the 78-year-old Donald, his abortion position was draconian. For women in the wrong states, the need to get an abortion is a terrifying prospect that could lead to death, if you are denied the proper treatment. And treatment is harder to get because doctors fear going to jail.
It’s remarkable, given Vance’s compassionate tone in his book, and his plea that the people of Appalachia be understood rather than ridiculed, how easily he morphed into someone with no compassion, stereotyping migrants and women.
After nearly 90 minutes of being lulled by Vance’s sham persona, Walz finally ripped his opponent’s mask off when Vance refused to say Trump lost the last election.
“Tim,” Vance protested, “I’m focused on the future.”
It was the truest thing Vance said in a night of lying about his own positions and mythical Trump achievements.
Vance was focused on the future — his own.”
Trump must have been mad as hell over Vance’s debate performance.
Tony
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