JD Vance and the vice president elegy

I was not sold on Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) when former President Donald Trump announced him as his running mate. I thought there were better choices available that would have been staunch supporters of Trump’s platform and ideology while also appealing to undecided voters that could help Trump win reelection. My feelings were reinforced and predicated mainly on Vance’s earlier comments about being a Never Trumper. However, his speech during the Republican National Convention on Wednesday helped sway me a little bit.

I wouldn’t categorize myself as being completely on board with Vance yet. However, the fact that he rose from poverty, and the socioeconomic challenges that come with that, is an experience I can personally relate to. The fact that he enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school, served in Iraq, and then went to Yale Law School is quite admirable, and it has all the workings for a success story that is arguably as American as apple pie. It exemplifies picking oneself up by one’s bootstraps, an integral component of the American spirit.

His stories about his mother and grandmother, who Vance affectionately called his “Mamaw,” were charming and endearing. Vance’s heartfelt description of his “Mamaw,” while categorizing her feistiness, devotion to God, guns, and the F-word, made him relatable in a way to the working class that makes up much of the country and the Rust Belt. His devotion to his family also transcended political ideologies. It was warm, heartfelt, and revealed many extraordinary qualities that made up the American nuclear family of yesteryear.

Simply put, I could now see the appeal of Vance.

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Moreover, given Trump’s political slogan of "Make America Great Again," Vance also hit on various political issues that many people could find relatable. Hammering away at Democratic policies and pushing for electric vehicles was an excellent start to his vice presidential candidacy as Trump’s running mate. He touted his love for the country and provided hope, inspiration, and a vision for others to return to the American dream, the dream that made our country great. And he did it by demonstrating why he was arguably the right choice for Trump to make.

“President Trump represents America’s last best hope to restore what, if lost, may never be found again,” Vance said, “a country where a working-class boy born far from the halls of power can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America.”