I’m an optimist who sees the glass half-full. I believe in civic engagement as a core responsibility to my community. That is why I was very concerned about the optics of the recent vice presidential debate. I had previously done research into the new candidate, JD Vance, checking news sources with a range of ideological views, from The Washington Post to The Wall Street Journal, and viewing videos of his senatorial race in 2022 from Fox to CNN. I was quite surprised that the man I viewed at the debate was not the senator I had seen in previous circumstances. His smooth delivery differed from current campaign rallies, and I immediately felt that his masquerade of reasonableness was dishonest.
His performance on CBS included a string of intentional misrepresentations, in which he claimed Donald Trump had “saved” Obamacare, a ridiculous assertion. Trump tried to end the Affordable Care Act by many means. Getting rid of Obamacare would subject people with preexisting conditions to catastrophic health care insecurity. Vance claimed Kamala Harris wanted to shut down oil production, while, in reality, the U.S. produced the most oil in the nation’s history last year, as well as more than any country in the world. I guess the Republicans are still denying climate change so that they can rustle up more contributions from oil executives. Trump denies climate change; I’d suggest he tell that to the victims of the extreme weather in Asheville, North Carolina, recently. Vance said he wouldn’t support a national abortion ban, while I have seen videos of his claims that he would indeed.
He’s the cultural warrior of the “Make America Great Again” movement, having expressed views about “childless cat ladies” who have no stake in our republic. The current, most divisive and dangerous culture war issue he continues to raise is that Haitian refugees who have settled into an Ohio town are eating cats and dogs. His rhetoric has made a horrific security issue for all citizens in Springfield, Ohio, since his supporters have called in dozens of bomb threats to schools, businesses and government buildings. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, both Republicans, have asserted that this is not true, but Vance referred to it in the debate, stoking flames further. It’s a tinderbox ready to explode; as a national candidate, he should be trying to lower the temperature instead of raising it. It appears to me that, with average Americans viewing the debate, he is attempting to appear normal. His views are far from normal.
And, since he cannot say the words, “President Trump lost the 2020 election,” he’s made himself unfit to be vice president. We require that our leaders tell the truth to the American people, serve the American people and honor the Constitution.
Bruce Dalleo
Wilmington
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.