Either as Vice-President or simply as a Veep nominee, Vance would have ample opportunity before the next polls to gently move ahead rather than remain anchored to beliefs which are unacceptable to an overwhelming proportion of the population, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat
Any betting man would have said that the odds were impossible that J.D. Vance in his early teens would turn out to be anything other than a drug addict, a drifter, an alcoholic or commit suicide well before he reached the age at which he was chosen by Donald J. Trump as his running mate in the US Presidential polls, 2024. Not yet into his fifth decade of life, unlike the Republican Presidential nominee, who will by the end of his term be into his ninth decade, Vance has a good chance of being sworn in as Vice-President of the US on 20 January 2025. Were Trump and Vance to defeat Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Vance would have by far the best chance of securing the 2028 Republican Presidential nomination.
A US President serves two terms, and Trump would have served his second term during 2025-29. He could of course seek another term, as he had a break from the White House during the Biden interregnum, but were he to attempt doing so, it is all but certain that the Republican establishment would do to him what the Democratic establishment did to Joe Biden just months ago, send him packing and replace him with the Vice-President. By 2028, Trump would not just be perceived as too old for the office, but an ever-watchful Melania would nudge him to quit while he was ahead, and spend his remaining years
being with his family and doing what he loves, such as golfing, in place of battling numerous fires caused by crises which a US President comes across almost every week, when not oftener.
If Trump and his running mate lose the 2024 polls to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Vance would be well positioned to get the Republican nomination for the 2028 polls, unless he puts in a disastrous show as Vice-President, something highly unlikely given his record of success upon success once he found his lady love, Usha, and settled down with her.
Despite his brilliance, or perhaps as a part of it, a bit of the hillbilly lingers in J.D. Vance, a refusal to come to terms with the fact that as time moves on, so do attitudes. His inflexible attitude towards abortion, very similar to the beliefs of Sarah Palin, are an example. Fixing a period within which an abortion can be carried out is reasonable. It is unreasonable, even cruel, to snuff out life from an unborn child when she or he has become aware of surroundings and responds to some of them. Taking away life when the brain is developed enough to feel pain is in a way inhumane. But abortion before such a phase has been accepted as reasonable and well within the rights of a woman to her own body to carry out.
Given that society in the US is not static, well within the term of the next Vice-President, the present stance of J.D. Vance to abortion, so reminiscent of the approach of the 25 Project champions, is a vote loser that would almost certainly cause Vance to lose the next US Presidential poll. Vance has moved far away from the realities of his childhood and adolescence, and so should a few of his views, including about childless women being somehow disadvantaged. If indeed there are Cat Women, they include those with children and not just those without. Indeed, several women prefer to remain childless or even unmarried, and in no way should they be shamed.
Either as Vice-President or simply as a Veep nominee whose ticket failed to succeed in the 2024 polls, Vance would have ample opportunity before the next polls to gently move ahead rather than remain anchored to beliefs which are unacceptable to an overwhelming proportion of the population, female or male. Provided Vance does not attempt to force his views on the rest of the population through use of legislative or executive power, what the beliefs of Usha and him are create no problems. Some issues are deeply personal and ought not to be forced upon the rest of the population.
Vaccine mandates are an example. Jobs were lost, doors were shut as a consequence of refusal to take a Covid-19 vaccine in the US or in other countries. In Australia, the Australian Open was changed into the Australian Closed after Novak Djokovic was barred from competing and deported in 2022 for not having been vaccinated.
Subsequently, serious concerns have been expressed about MRNA vaccines, while several others began suffering from cardiac and other issues after having taken a Covid-19 vaccine. So far no suit for damages has been brought against vaccine manufacturers who rushed to put in the market vaccines at an unprecedented speed, with Dr Fauci seeming to be less scientist than salesman of MRNA vaccines in particular. It could be that vaccines are safe, but the jury is still out. Returning to Vance, he could someday be a great US President, but for such a situation, he may first need to make changes in his own approach towards some issues.
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