I've read quite a few commentaries and analyses of this Ohio Senate hopeful, Republican J.D. Vance. All of them have noted Vance's intellect, his grasp of complex issues both cultural and political, and his energized determination to pull the upset against incumbent Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan. Where they differ, of course, is Vance's personality and statesmanship.
To some, Vance is an untrustworthy political chameleon – a man who once pilloried Donald Trump as "an idiot," and said he couldn't decide if the former president was just a "cynical ***hole" or "America's Hitler," but who now proudly marches under the MAGA banner.
To others, Vance is a straight shooter who remains true to his convictions and isn't concerned with placating anyone to get ahead – whether that's the leftwing media or Trump himself.
I have my own opinions on that conversation, but find it largely academic. Here's what matters right now from a political standpoint: Vance is perfectly reading the room and matching the mood of the electorate. He has effectively turned the age-old election-year routine of Republican candidates defensively fending off Democrat attacks into an offensive strategy of exposing his opponent's radicalism.
Just a few weeks ago, Tim Ryan ran this campaign ad, hoping to appear as a consensus-seeking, bridge-building uniter:
Vance wasted no time in pointing out that Ryan's voting record in D.C. agreed with Nancy Pelosi's agenda 100% of the time. The ad Ryan hoped would become an iconic, appealing, feel-good promotion of his candidacy became a public admission that he agrees with "San Francisco Nancy" more consistently than he does his own wife. Ouch.
But there was more. Much more. Two times in as many weeks, Vance has masterfully parried the worn-out Democrat method of debate-by-label. Rather than allowing Ryan to wage war against rhetorical strawmen, Vance has turned the congressman's divisive labels against him.
For instance, in a recent debate the topic turned to LGBT issues and so-called "marriage equality." Feeling the issue played into his own progressive hands, Rep. Ryan insinuated that Vance's belief in the same traditional morality that Democrats were promoting until about 5 minutes ago rendered him an "extremist." Vance chose not to deny or argue the charge, but instead more accurately re-apply the label.
When it comes to extremism in politics, it doesn't get much more flagrant than the misnamed "equality act." Vance deserves immense credit for accurately pointing that out.
But when bland charges of "extremism" didn't work, Rep. Ryan was ready to give the Left's tried and true warhorse a chance. But calling the father of biracial children a "racist" didn't land quite as Ryan had hoped:
One of the things that drew so many conservatives to a non-conservative populist like Donald Trump in 2016 was his propensity for fighting back against unfair, inaccurate left-wing tropes promoted by a complicit, lapdog media. The Right was tired of being bullied and so they went out of their immediate circle and hired a bully of their own.
The problem with Trump became that he was always good for a retort, but never demonstrated a reasonable grasp on conservative policy or a belief in the supremacy of conservative ideas. His response to Rep. Ryan would have been to interrupt, refer to him as "Goofball Tim," and insult his wife. A lot of fight, an eager retort, but a lingering feeling that nothing beyond petulance transpired.
More than a few of us wondered what might happen if true conservatives learned to harness some of Trump's effective combativeness with hostile sources, all while maintaining some dignified semblance of policy awareness.
That's what has been on display in the JD Vance campaign in Ohio these last several weeks, and it's been more than a little refreshing.
