Trump allies reconsider: Is JD Vance the right running mate?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Last week, Democrats argued that Sen. JD Vance was a poor choice for Donald Trump's ticket. This week, some Republicans are coming to the same conclusion.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-allies-reconsider-jd-vance-right-running-mate-rcna163172

As Donald Trump and his team evaluated potential running mates, there were plenty of “safe” choices for the former Republican president. Sen. JD Vance wasn’t necessarily one of them.

The 39-year-old Ohio senator — the least experienced major-party running mate in nearly nine decades — has no accomplishments to speak of. He has a record of extremism on key issues. He comes from a state the GOP ticket is almost certain to win anyway. He actually hated Trump in the recent past.

As the public was reminded at Vance’s first solo rally since joining Trump’s team, the guy doesn’t exactly radiate charm and charisma, either.

Link to tweet

......That, of course, was when the GOP nominee expected to defeat President Joe Biden. As the incumbent stands down, the party’s recent moves are being reassessed and recontextualized. Tim Alberta wrote for The Atlantic:

[Top officials on the Republican campaign team] know that from the moment they partnered with Trump, everything they intended for this campaign—the messaging, the advertising, the microtargeting, the ground game, the mail pieces, the digital engagement, the social-media maneuvers—was designed to defeat Joe Biden. Even the selection of Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance as Trump’s running mate, campaign officials acknowledged, was something of a luxury meant to run up margins with the base in a blowout rather than persuade swing voters in a nail-biter.[/i]

That luxury is now gone. Alberta added via social media, “[The] most striking thing I heard from Trump allies yesterday was the second-guessing of JD Vance—a selection, they acknowledged, that was borne of cockiness, meant to run up margins with the base in a blowout.”

Oops.

I’ve long argued that the running mate selection is the most important choice a presidential candidate will make during his or her campaign. Trump did not choose wisely — and it’s apparently not just Democrats who’ve noticed.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. tRump is real happy about it

[Attilatheblond]

2. Pretty sure Vance was not TSF's choice

Likely sees him as a rival, which may well be the case. He might be realizing, the next time, a shooter might not just graze him.

[obamanut2012]

5. He isn't, he was handpicked by Peter Thiel and Elon Musk

So, he isn't going away.

[Attilatheblond]

10. Yep. He's their younger, prettier, more energy pick with a longer shelf life

He is the puppet the can count on for years.

[obamanut2012]

14. bingo

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Surprised he's not hawking square ear muffs

[MineralMan]

4. Haha! He's the nominee, isn't he?

Shoulda thought of that earlier, eh, Goopers?

[FSogol]

6. Pence escaped Trumpy's ultimate plans for him, wonder if Vance will be as lucky?

[DinahMoeHum]

7. Shades of the RNC in 2008. . .

. . .when Sarah Palin was lionized as the perfect choice for VPOTUS to run with John McCain.

Afetr a week or two on the road with her, though, people couldn't get away from her fast enough.

[Skittles]

8. Diet Mountain Dew is racist?

WTF is he talking about?

[Diamond_Dog]

9. Vance adds nothing to the ticket and he's boring too.

[democratsruletheday]

11. Guy is a phoney

and brings 0 to the ticket. Glad they picked him.

[democratsruletheday]

12. He's a phoney

and brings 0 to the ticket. Glad they picked him.

[StarryNite]

13. Dumb and Dumber

Seems like the perfect match to me!

[keithbvadu2]

15. Diet? That sounds woke.

Vance won't be one to stand in Donald's shadow.

[Retrograde]

16. What? The bigly genius admits to a mistake?

He’s probably itching to do a public “you’re fired”, but that would be admitting he 1) was wrong and 2) let Junior tell him what to do