32 Comments
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Randy Paulson's avatar

Thanks for the thoughtful article! It was a great read. I also especially liked your phrase “…Trump, who is like the seven deadly sins thrown into a blender and poured into a suit.”

Ken Klippenstein's avatar

glad you liked it randy! and lol'd while writing that

Carol Brownson's avatar

me too! I was going to quote that but you beat me to it. :-)

Kaki Hunter's avatar

Ugh! Vance is a brown noser willing to do or say whatever gets his feet in the door. He was enlisted by the PayPal Mafia (along with DT) from the get go just for this reason. He is a snake slithering through the underbelly of the Elite Beast who I am sure will receive exorbitant dark money to keep towing the American public into whatever direction makes the rich richer with their water guzzling data center oil polluting enterprises and oh yeah, Christian Right values. Don’t fall prey to the snakes that aim to steel everything you hold dear.

Lois's avatar

Thoughtful piece that shows why the Dems' centrism is easily defeated by the Right.

PK's avatar

Well whatever you can say about JD, he's an opportunist but he's not stupid. Since Rump is trying to blame him for Operation Epic Failure, he's stuck either submitting to that or differentiating himself (and he was reportedly the only Cabinet member who disagreed about attacking Iran although Tulsi Gabbard is said to have denied that Iran had a legitimate nuclear weapons program). If Vance can get his approval ratings up he'll have plenty of financial backing from Peter Thief and the other broligarchs in two years

michael's avatar

Exactly! We need a transformative vision for the future. Not a return to the "status quo". The status quo sucked and is/was getting worse for so many people. Bring in some democratic socialists! ✊

Emma's avatar

Agree. We need to double down or keep losing. Problem is we are out of time. Our november bar is far too low; I find that concerning.

Laurie Tanenbaum's avatar

I hope that Democrats will be ready to share his history when he peddles himself as the good guy in the room.

Thanks, Ken. I always learn something from your writing.

Ken Klippenstein's avatar

Glad you find it helpful, Laurie.

michael's avatar

They might even sabotage more progressive democratic frontrunners in favor of him or some neoliberal democratic clone of his.

Laurie Tanenbaum's avatar

That's why people have to know their past politics in detail and put that out to the public clearly. The wolves in lambzs clothing will be all over all the elections, everywhere.

Patty Tanji's avatar

Still feels like gas lighting

Emma's avatar

Because it is

Paul Snyder's avatar

Vance’s next book:

“Scapegoat Elegy”

Todd's avatar

"As Vance himself pointed out multiple times during his media blitz: 'I’m the only person in the cabinet who can’t be fired.'"

True.

But I can also see Trump pulling a Sarah Palin and having pics of Vance centered in crosshairs circulated.

Come to think of it, I can see him calling up Cricket-Killer to have her shoot Vance's dog, too.

Edward Truncale's avatar

Distance from the anchor is irrelevant if you are still chained to it as it sinks to the bottom of the sea.

Marian Gillis's avatar

Stay tuned. Good piece. Knowing when to hold em and fold em is key. Watching him play his cards will be useful.

Michael Wallace's avatar

That compelling pivot may have been the point.

Rob Bird's avatar

What I can't understand is why Rubio doesn't want to quit at this point. I don't see what his play is.

Emma's avatar

Cuba, as Bill noted. However, we tend to concentrate on 5 names, like cabinet or family members, and the other 15 on relatively similar footing are already well situated south of the border and gobbling up territory like cartel bosses on holiday. Rubio would never quit, everything he is always wanted is practically in his hand.

Rob Bird's avatar

Cuba. Hmm. Could you elaborate?

Daas Yochid's avatar

I'm wondering if he is even waiting for 2028:

https://www.rawstory.com/vance-epstein-list-panicked-nyt/

"Vance pushed even further, arguing the administration should release unsubstantiated allegations and anecdotes about Trump. "They were going to surface regardless, and if the administration published them first, it would demonstrate good faith and take the oxygen out of the conspiracy theories," he reportedly said."

Was Vance trying to get Trump impeached?

Also remember he went radio silent in defending Trump after the files were released:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/jd-vance-takes-rare-social-214223577.html

There's many other occasions that make me wonder if Vance wants Trump out early...

Emma's avatar

Or just trumps health and 2.5 years is unlikely. I just don't see johnson or rubio in 2nd. Maybe Thune?

Slightly Lucid's avatar

He sounds super awesome on paper.

And then you remember that he’s owned by Peter Thiel.

Suzy Rudofker's avatar

Excellent, thought-stirring piece. I'm with Randy below about the "seven deadly sins..." phrase which, literally, catapulted me to become a paid subscriber; I love great writing! And, thanks for your warning at the end with which I could not agree more. Sure hope the Democrats are paying attention to the fact that their usual safe, corporate-moderate candidate (my entire voting life has been this)just isn't going to cut it. If Bernie had been the candidate in 2016, he would have won...wake up Democrats.

Susan Becraft's avatar

Not to worry, folks. I just read that Rahm Emmanuel is testing the waters. (Read extreme sarcasm.)