AP Photo/Evan Vucci
One word comes to mind after watching JD Vance's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention: authentic. In his nearly 40-minute speech, the young Senator from Ohio came across as witty, humble, affable, and passionate in his desire to represent the people from which he comes -- the overlooked Appalachian communities, and more broadly the struggling working class of America.
And there wasn't a hint of artifice in it. Vance appeared genuinely humbled to be there, genuinely concerned about the plight of the working class, and more than genuinely ready to lead on solutions for crime, addiction, national security, and a revitalization of the manufacturing industries that once employed his communities.
In short, Vance came across as a breath of fresh air.
But perhaps a better term is this: natural. To riff off the Robert Redford film, Vance appeared so born for this moment that he didn't need to try hard to meet it; the ball just leapt from the bat and smashed the lights. Relaxed, confident, and thoroughly enjoying himself, Vance deviated from the script often to tease the Ohio and Michigan delegations, his own kids (assuming they were up late watching), and to make sure he told the crowd about his mother's 10-year recovery from addiction. He told hilarious stories about his grandmother and her love for firearms and "the F-word," and how she used a little bit of both to keep him from falling into the addiction and destruction cycle that afflicted too many of his friends.
To say that this is a rare combination is an exercise in understatement. But all one needs to do is watch political conventions to see just how rare it is, even for successful politicians. We've certainly seen plenty of these during the last three days, and some of those speeches have been excellent. However, none of them demonstrated quite as much ease, confidence, and power without outright yelling as Vance demonstrated last night by just being his authentic self.
t's easy to see what Donald Trump saw in Vance as a running mate. On the campaign trail, Vance will be perhaps the most authentic person on the stump, assuming the Democrat ticket doesn't change. His life story has more compassion and empathy in a few sentences than Joe Biden's "Scranton Joe" routine. Kamala Harris speaks in Academia lingo and repetitive circular phrases. Vance can speak extemporaneously about his authentic life experiences in way to which voters can easily relate. Vance also provides a contrast to Trump's style in ways that complement it without competing with it.
Perhaps the most compelling part of Vance's speech came toward the end, skillfully crafted to end on a unifying and emotional moment that spoke to what it means to be American. And it was about his family cemetery in Kentucky:
Now when I proposed to my wife, we were in law school, and I said, “Honey, I come with $120,000 worth of law school debt, and a cemetery plot on a mountainside in Eastern Kentucky.”
And I guess standing here tonight it’s just gotten weirder and weirder, honey. But that’s what she was getting. Now that cemetery plot in Eastern Kentucky is near my family’s ancestral home. And like a lot of people, we came from the mountains of Appalachia into the factories of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Now that’s Kentucky coal country, one of the 10 —Now, it’s one of the 10 poorest counties in the entire United States of America.
They’re very hardworking people, and they’re very good people. They’re the kind of people who would give you the shirt off their back even if they can’t afford enough to eat.
And our media calls them privileged and looks down on them.
But they love this country, not only because it’s a good idea, but because in their bones they know that this is their home, and it will be their children’s home, and they would die fighting to protect it.
That is the source of America’s greatness.
Indeed it is. And it is that connection to America's core that will serve Vance well in the coming months of a very difficult campaign.
America met JD Vance last night, but JD Vance knows America.
Here's the whole speech. If you missed it last night, carve out 40 minutes this morning. You'll be happy you did. Unless your name is Kamala Harris or Joe Biden, that is.
