I, too, have been conflicted in my views on Vance. As you said, the book and his passion for his origins make you root for him. I enjoyed reading your perspective.
Back when Hillary labeled anyone who did not support her as “deplorable”, I began to rethink being a democrat. Many of these “deplorables” were my friends and family. The left has lost many many of us because of their elite condescending intolerant attitudes toward anyone who has differing opinions. The wedge was driven and I only see it getting deeper.
Excellent to read your evenhandedness. I have a spent a great deal of time at the universities over the last 18 years as a philanthropist. Vance is entirely correct. The most intelligent profs will tell you in private the campuses are a soft totalitarianism. I hate Trump's personality, always have. But his decisions and policies have been remarkably beneficial for the country and the world. I buy nothing the mainstream media writes or says about him. They simply own the means of propaganda, thus many are convinced he is Hitler.
I think most Trump voters come from the same place - they can't stand Trump the person. He's narcissistic, brash and thin-skinned. But his policies helped to at least stall this country's decent through the 9-levels of leftist progressive hell. I hope that he decides not to run again in '24 - but if he does, he will again get my vote.
Thanks for this reflection on J.D. Vance, David. I enjoyed listening (Audible) to Vance's book. I was raised in the lower-middle class as son of an itinerant pastor. Because we moved every 2-3 years, I rarely had friends who came from highly educated or wealthy families. Beginning with early years in pre-statehood Alaska fishing villages through Nebraskan small towns, people I knew were all relatively low income. Poverty was present in every setting. So I identified with Vance's story even though it is not my own. My mother was raised in company coal mine housing in Kentucky and Alabama. My father was the son of Alabama small farmer. Both came out of the South to raise their children away from overt racism and were facilitated by brilliant minds, incredible personal religious faith, and access to church run small college, then university.
All that is to say, I knew something of the life Vance describes in his book. I too found his care for his family and community and his drive to move to more certain ground in his own life understandable and admirable. He too persisted.
None of that makes his embrace of Trump-ism admirable in my opinion. None of that made the arch conservative, bootstrap politics of the Nebraskans I grew up among acceptable much less appealing. My family of origin was open hearted and socially progressive and always in the minority among those small town farmers. Yet - I was raised with the example of my parents' love for them and compassionate embrace of their suffering and ignorance. I currently live in a thoroughly conservative county in progressive Washington State. Trump signs hang from barn walls here. But there is a part of the community that values diversity, works to provide resources for parents of early learners, fights for the presence of needle exchange and decent housing for all. As usual, this is a minority and will continue to be, but it is a minority that cares about and reaches out to all without any political litmus test.
So I identify with your ambivalent reading of Vance, and appreciate your writing about it so well.
The inability to hear opposing political views from people you love has become remarkably more difficult in the last five years. I agree that is difficult to put my mom’s best friend in a category of someone to stay away from. Yet that thought would not have entered my mind ten years ago. My 100 year old aunt says that she had never seen or experienced such a divide before Trump came to power.
People you love deserve a longer leash and more nuance than a politician you've never met. I think it's ok to judge a politician or public figure in a way that you wouldn't a family member or friend.
I, too, have been conflicted in my views on Vance. As you said, the book and his passion for his origins make you root for him. I enjoyed reading your perspective.
Being from Ohio, I was interested in Vance’s story from the beginning. Read his book. Watched the movie.
Saw interviews with him many times.
Followed the political pushback on his story.
My instinct tells me that the pushback pushed him to Trump.
From what I could see, he felt as though the left invalidated his story - even mocking him at times for thinking that he had a story to tell.
I often think about why Trump was elected.
There is a massive part of our country that feels unseen, unheard, and disregarded.
They feel like Vance must have felt when the left invalidated his lived experience.
Our (coastal elites) have to do better at seeing nuance, at engaging in conversation.
I’ve been part of the problem for many years. I’m working daily to be better.
I appreciate this Substack so much. Thanks for starting the dialogue.
Thanks Kelly for that valuable perspective.
As if to prove your point, the recent invective against Vance from the Times, the Atlantic, etc. has been extreme.
It will be interesting to see whether he pivots toward the center in the general election.
Back when Hillary labeled anyone who did not support her as “deplorable”, I began to rethink being a democrat. Many of these “deplorables” were my friends and family. The left has lost many many of us because of their elite condescending intolerant attitudes toward anyone who has differing opinions. The wedge was driven and I only see it getting deeper.
I agree. To call anyone "deplorable": let alone nearly half the country, is itself a deplorable act.
Words like deplorable should be almost exclusively reserved for situations and perhaps for actions or statements, but very rarely for a person.
While I have arrived at the same conclusion, I took a longer path to get here.
I lacked empathy, even for those that I grew up with and loved, once Trump was elected.
I was divisive and condescending for over 4 years of my life.
I deepened the wedge.
I want a better world, so I’m going to be a better version of myself.
This conversation helps bring both to fruition.
Excellent to read your evenhandedness. I have a spent a great deal of time at the universities over the last 18 years as a philanthropist. Vance is entirely correct. The most intelligent profs will tell you in private the campuses are a soft totalitarianism. I hate Trump's personality, always have. But his decisions and policies have been remarkably beneficial for the country and the world. I buy nothing the mainstream media writes or says about him. They simply own the means of propaganda, thus many are convinced he is Hitler.
Appreciate booth your comment and your POV.
I've had equal comments of I was too "generous" and too "tough" on Vance.
I think most Trump voters come from the same place - they can't stand Trump the person. He's narcissistic, brash and thin-skinned. But his policies helped to at least stall this country's decent through the 9-levels of leftist progressive hell. I hope that he decides not to run again in '24 - but if he does, he will again get my vote.
Thanks for this reflection on J.D. Vance, David. I enjoyed listening (Audible) to Vance's book. I was raised in the lower-middle class as son of an itinerant pastor. Because we moved every 2-3 years, I rarely had friends who came from highly educated or wealthy families. Beginning with early years in pre-statehood Alaska fishing villages through Nebraskan small towns, people I knew were all relatively low income. Poverty was present in every setting. So I identified with Vance's story even though it is not my own. My mother was raised in company coal mine housing in Kentucky and Alabama. My father was the son of Alabama small farmer. Both came out of the South to raise their children away from overt racism and were facilitated by brilliant minds, incredible personal religious faith, and access to church run small college, then university.
All that is to say, I knew something of the life Vance describes in his book. I too found his care for his family and community and his drive to move to more certain ground in his own life understandable and admirable. He too persisted.
None of that makes his embrace of Trump-ism admirable in my opinion. None of that made the arch conservative, bootstrap politics of the Nebraskans I grew up among acceptable much less appealing. My family of origin was open hearted and socially progressive and always in the minority among those small town farmers. Yet - I was raised with the example of my parents' love for them and compassionate embrace of their suffering and ignorance. I currently live in a thoroughly conservative county in progressive Washington State. Trump signs hang from barn walls here. But there is a part of the community that values diversity, works to provide resources for parents of early learners, fights for the presence of needle exchange and decent housing for all. As usual, this is a minority and will continue to be, but it is a minority that cares about and reaches out to all without any political litmus test.
So I identify with your ambivalent reading of Vance, and appreciate your writing about it so well.
The inability to hear opposing political views from people you love has become remarkably more difficult in the last five years. I agree that is difficult to put my mom’s best friend in a category of someone to stay away from. Yet that thought would not have entered my mind ten years ago. My 100 year old aunt says that she had never seen or experienced such a divide before Trump came to power.
People you love deserve a longer leash and more nuance than a politician you've never met. I think it's ok to judge a politician or public figure in a way that you wouldn't a family member or friend.