Running Mate

Thursday August 1, 2024

J.D. Vance’s extreme and divisive rhetoric, coupled with Trump’s lackluster campaign strategy, has turned their ticket into a significant liability, overshadowed by Kamala Harris's rising appeal and strategic positioning.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 1, 2024

Link to the animated making-of clip of this cartoon.

J.D. Vance—Trump’s Liability in 2024

The 2024 U.S. presidential race is tumultuous, with Trump’s attempted assassination boosting his support while concerns about Biden’s age and performance challenge his candidacy, pushing Democrats to rethink strategies.

July 17, 2024

J.D. Vance, once seen as a strategic vice-presidential pick to bolster Trump’s appeal among the Republican base, has quickly turned into a significant liability. This sentiment is echoed by Maureen Dowd, Andrew Coyne, and Justin Webb, who collectively highlight Vance’s controversial views and missteps.

Andrew Coyne vividly characterizes Vance as a “smarter Trump,” noting that while Trump has always been defined by his “venomous ignorance,” Vance embodies a more calculated, yet equally problematic form of extremism. According to Coyne, Vance’s “wooden” demeanor and “bookish smarm” have bored and confused audiences, exacerbated by his past remarks that have alienated not just liberals but many Republicans as well. Coyne argues that Vance’s failure lies in his attempt to be the smart, strategic successor to Trump, which ironically makes him a greater liability. Unlike Trump, whose ignorance acts as a form of invulnerability, Vance’s calculated opportunism and lack of humility have made him a target for criticism.

Opinion: A smarter Trump turns out to be a weaker force 

December 14, 2017

Maureen Dowd provides a starkly critical view of both Trump and Vance, suggesting that Trump’s own retrograde attitudes towards women are outdone by Vance’s “draconian and mean-spirited” views. Dowd describes Trump as stuck in a “1959 time warp,” marked by outdated and offensive perspectives on women, but Vance’s views, according to her, are even more egregious. She highlights Vance’s dismissal of women who don’t fit his traditional mold, arguing that his belief that only women in traditional marriages have a “direct stake” in America is not just archaic but “un-American.”

Dowd also criticizes Vance for his attempt to sanitize his previous derogatory comments about women, which he dismissed as mere sarcasm. She portrays Vance as embodying a modern-day “faux-billy” who tailors his beliefs to match his ambitions while projecting an image nurtured by extremist ideologies. His stance on issues like abortion and his promotion of policies targeting women’s rights further underscore his unsuitability.

Opinion: JD Vance, Purr-fectly Dreadful

Donald Trump's cynical exploitation of religion during Holy Week, epitomized by the sale of a "God Bless the USA Bible," underscores the dangerous fusion of nationalism and faith, prompting a call to preserve the integrity of true Christianity against such commercialization.

April 2, 2024

Moreover, the unexpected nomination of Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden has added to Trump’s woes. Harris has invigorated the Democratic base, as observed by Webb, presenting a sharp contrast to the Trump-Vance ticket. Harris’s campaign has gained momentum, while Trump’s appears directionless, unable to effectively counter Harris’s growing appeal.

However, Harris’s current momentum could easily be whittled down with gaffes and the inevitable dirty campaigning as time goes on. The Democratic Party’s fortunes also depend on Harris’s imminent choice of a running mate, which could further strengthen her campaign. A strong vice-presidential pick could solidify her position and highlight the eroding appeal of J.D. Vance.

Analysis: Kamala Harris has rattled Trump. Things could get really ugly

Kamala Harris's candidacy offers a dynamic and historic alternative to Donald Trump, with the potential to energize the Democratic base and appeal to swing voters despite significant challenges.

July 23, 2024

Reader reactions to Webb’s piece reinforce the notion that Trump and Vance are out of touch. Trump lacks essential qualities like wit, warmth, and wisdom, making his attacks on Harris seem desperate and out of place. Vance, meanwhile, exacerbates the situation with his own misjudgments, making him a poor choice for attracting swing voters.

As Harris rallies support and assembles a strong campaign team, Trump and Vance seem increasingly isolated. The “childless cat ladies” demographic, underestimated by Vance, might very well play a crucial role in the upcoming election, potentially tipping the scales against the Republicans. The combined effect of Vance’s unpopularity and Harris’s rising profile suggests that the GOP’s strategy is faltering, making it an uphill battle for Trump in November. (AI)

 

Tuesday July 17, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday July 17, 2012

The Condi Distraction

If Team Romney’s leak that the candidate is considering Condoleezza Rice as a running mate was an effort to change the subject after a tough week on the campaign trail, it wasn’t very successful.

Mitt Romney spent last week being booed by the NAACP when he wasn’t being hounded by the Obama campaign over his tenure at Bain Capital and his refusal to release more tax returns. On Thursday night, the Drudge Report said that the former secretary of state was on Mr. Romney’s short list of VP choices.

Several Republican women like the idea of Ms. Rice joining the ticket. “Condoleezza Rice is an incredible choice, incredibly qualified with her foreign policy experience,” said Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, expressing a sentiment echoed by Sarah Palin and others. But social conservatives and pundits were skeptical, noting that Ms. Rice is pro-choice and not popular among foreign policy hawks.

A Romney-Rice ticket “would deactivate the base,” Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention told The Wall Street Journal. “It will turn some serious contributors and activists into just voters, and some voters into fishermen.” Commentator George Will was even more direct. Mr. Romney “would lose 40 states,” he said Sunday on “This Week.”

Moreover, the VP talk has not stopped the political press from focusing primarily on Bain and Mr. Romney’s tax records. The Obama campaign believes that attacking Mr. Romney’s private equity background can lure white working class voters in politically important Rust Belt states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, even though people like Cory Booker and Steve Rattner have taken exception to the tactic. (Source: Wall Street Journal)