The one word that best describes JD Vance is not “weird,” it is “changeable.”
Nothing about him remains the same — not his occupation, not his political heroes, not his religion, not even his name. He sometimes seems like a dandelion swaying in the wind, or, to be less kind as some critics have been, a chameleon.
JD Vance is his name now, but it was not his first name. Not even his second. He was born James David Bowman, which his mother changed to Hamel when she remarried, before the young man himself selected Vance, and later dropped the periods between J and D.
He is a Catholic now, but he was not a Catholic at birth. He had been a Protestant when he married, but the ceremony was blessed by a Hindu pandit, because his wife, Usha Chilukuri, is Hindu. She is the American-born child of two legal immigrants from India. They met in Yale Law School.
He has been known to occasionally dress to conform with his wife’s family’s traditional attire..
Fun fact: She performed in the San Diego Mt. Carmel High School marching band.
After earning a law degree in 2013 at Yale, which he attended on the GI Bill (as he did at Ohio State, where he made four years in two) Vance practiced law briefly, but then made a beeline for the West Coast, where his time at Yale opened a few doors. More of that in a minute.
In 2016-2017, he was a principal at San Francisco’s Mithril Capital Management, founded in 2012 by Peter Thiel, an entrepreneur and investor who started PayPal in 1998, and who took Vance under his wing and became one of his biggest financial supporters.
Vance’s biggest change was his political transformation.
A self-described populist and member of the post-liberal Right, the blue-collar bard described himself as a “Never Trump” guy, referred to Donald J. Trump as “America’s Hitler” and as “cultural heroin” when the developer and TV star announced his candidacy.
That was before Trump endorsed Vance for U.S. Senate, beating incumbent Democrat Tim Ryan, 53-47%, but performing less well than other Republicans on the ticket. There seems to be something about him that rubs people the wrong way.
And now Vance is in the veep candidate’s seat, and endures comments such as this from a former friend at Yale Law, who says Vance “has changed [his] position on literally every imaginable issue that affects everyday Americans.”
Vance has explained many times how he was drawn into the Trump cult orbit. In brief, he says he believed the lies being told about Trump by the mainstream media, and now is so convinced of Trump’s quality, Vance says — unlike Vice President Mike Pence, who lacked the authority to do anything else — he would not have allowed a vote to certify the 2020 election. And this from a guy who took an oath as a Marine to protect the Constitution. He served four years, six months of which were spent in Iraq as a combat journalist. While in the combat theater, he was never in combat. He never claimed to be in combat, although some of his supporters do.
It’s kind of stunning that a guy who graduated from Ohio State summa cum laude with majors in philosophy and political science would have the lack of shame to confess to being led to his opinions like a bullock on a nose ring by the evil mainstream media.
His fellow Midwest opponent, Tim Walz, has challenged his hillbilly bona fides, as have others.
The far Left The New Republic called him the “liberal media’s favorite white-trash-splainer,” using a distinctly unPC term, and the “false prophet of blue America,” while the Washington Post called him “the voice of the Rust Belt,” and The New York Times called his Hillbilly Elegy “one of the six best books to help understand Trump’s win.”
Fun fact: That he should write his memoir was suggested by Yale law prof Amy Chua, author of her runaway best-seller, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.” Ron Howard turned Vance’s book into a Netflix movie, where he can be seen today.
It’s amazing how fast one can go from pigshit poor to a millionaire, if one is connected, as Vance was, becoming a vulture “venture capitalist” not long after arriving on the West Coast.
In 2010 and 2011, he wrote for David Frum’s website under the name of J.D. Hamel. Frum had been a speechwriter for George W. Bush.
As his mother was a drug addict who would do anything for a fix, Vance was largely raised by his chain-smoking, Bible-thumping, foulmouthed grandmother he called Mamaw. After she died, he related, they found 19 loaded pistols around her home, so one would always be within reach.
In 2016, he returned to his native Ohio to launch Our Ohio Renewal, a nonprofit designed to deal with education, addiction and other “social ills.” It closed about two years later, as he was developing his unConstitutional ideas that parents should have greater voting rights than nonparents, and said the Democrats were run by “childless cat ladies.”
The weird thing is, none of the Big Mommas leading the party — Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris — are childless. (Kamala has two stepchildren.)
Vance tried to explain what he meant was the Democratic Party was anti-family and anti-child, while it is usually Republicans who vote against bills supporting children and families.
He joined the U.S. Senate in 2023, where he sponsored 57 legislative bills, none of which passed the Senate, but he did collaborate with Democratic Sen. Ralphael Warnock to reduce the cost of insulin, with Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren to claw back executive pay when big banks fail, and with Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene to criminalize sexual butchery “gender-affirming” surgery for minors.
He was roundly criticized for not issuing an official statement for 10 days after the East Palestine, Ohio, massive train derailment.
Not long ago, the picture of Vance in drag surfaced. I can’t verify it, but Vance hasn’t denied it, and is likely a Halloween costume. I doubt he is transitioning.
He opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, gun control and aid to Ukraine. His views seem less America First, more America Alone.
Then a lie, supposedly about Vance masturbating using a rubber glove and sofa cushions, hit the internet. Even though proven to be a hoax, Democratic candidate Tim Walz obliquely referenced it while challenging Vance to a debate.
Vance accepted and that one, between two college-educated veterans, will be must-see TV. Maybe the Military Channel can host.
Update: It will be Oct. 1 on CBS.
Great post Stu. I would venture to say that if your questions are addressed at all by Vance and/or others like him, the answers will more than likely be filled with lies and innuendo.
Thanks, but I don’t know that I was fair until I hear from Naomi. 😄
You can’t make up a mind you have clearly lost .
Perhaps your underlying question ought to be: why are there so few people we all would call normal, honest, wise, experienced, moderate, tolerant, balanced and fair in all levels of government?
That was the sort of candidate the alternative party, No Labels, was attempting to find as their standard bearer; someone representing the majority of the citizens and not from the extreme end zones that both parties represent these days.
Just look at all the very peculiar, dishonest, weaselly and wholly untrustworthy people in local, state and national elected offices.
A very long list of odd balls you would never invite over for dinner who, remarkably, keep getting re-elected by the majority of voters who those odd balls do not actually represent!
Why?
Poor No Labels could find NO moderate from Central Casting. Maybe Americans don’t want a moderate.
If Harris is elected she will continue with the democrats destruction of America. This is not the Democratic party of old. This party is controlled by the far left. Do the voters want this or do they want a country with traditional American values and peace and prosperity. We will soon find out.
The subject was the vice president candidate.
You were fair Stu. 2 hatchet jobs. I’m just getting to the reason we are voting.
Neither was a hatchet job. Each was even-handed, with plusses and minuses.
Stu, please, please, please get rid of this POS.
Why is he a POS?
I agree that each was even handed, but I also agree with Bogart. Get rid of this guy. He contributes nothing but his delusions to this forum. And they got tiresome a long time ago.
No ban. Ignore him. I “banned” only Judah for REPEATED lies about my honesty. He was warned and I told him not to try me.
He did. And he’s gone.
I think the scratched out vulture and the picture of the obvious costume party were unnecessary. It just helped to smear the man. And what’s with Bogart and wicked Wanda wanting to censor me. They are the new anti American democrats who don’t believe in free speech or the constitution.
I treated Vance with the SAME satirical brush that I used on Walz.
Stu….. JD Vance, clearly, has his flaws. Like the rest of us, he is undoubtedly human. He has misspoken at times, misconstrued stories at times and embellished at times. And, just like most politicians, he has had, on occasion, a wicked case of the “flip-flops“. However, if you pull up to 25,000 feet and you look at the whole picture, it’s tough not to see the obvious. Which, to me, is the fact that this guy truly came from nothing but a hardship childhood. He saw a path forward by way of the military, he served honorably for four years and then utilized the benefits that are there for veterans and secured an education. What he did with that education was parlay it into financial success and a career. He wasn’t given anything but an opportunity. Certainly, one can argue the pros and cons of what he did and how he did it… May it be venture-capital, authoring the best selling book, selling the movie rights… But the point is, you gotta give the dude some kudos for being smart enough and motivated enough to figure out how to get where he wants to be in life. He was not an Ivy legacy student. He was not born of privilege and wealth. Yep… He’s a politician, no doubt. But, IMHO, he had the gumption to do something about his difficult circumstances… He got off his ass and made it happen. Gotta respect that. Doesn’t mean I have to agree with him.
He is, without question, a self made man. I credit him for pulling himself up by jis bootstraps, but he is way too right for me.
I’ve listened to him being grilled by CNN talking heads, and I find him to be very smart and quick on his feet and able to handle the subtle snideness of the questioners. I think being pro-life IS being American; the indifference to the killing of a million unborn humans each year is our nation’s moral failing. And gay ‘marriage’ is an oxymoron. Let the ranting and raving begin.
Gay marriage is very real. Why do you have an issue with people who love each other being together and having a civil union? MYOB
“killing of a million unborn humans each year.” My ass. You don’t get to use YOUR religion to make policy in OUR government. You believe what you wanna believe and act as you wanna act in your own life. But don’t be coming on here telling ME how act, jack. That’s where the line in the sand is drawn.
Settled down, Francis.
He did come on and speak his mind, he can use his religion and he never told you how to act.
This is America.
Another rant from anti American freeze
Danny boy, You’re like a human version of a headache. Bogart and I don’t want to censure you, just get rid of you. There’s a difference.
You suffer from Daniel derangement syndrome 😂
Freeze, I believe the crap we are seeing here is only going to get worse. Especially since Stu has already said as long as he is not called a liar he does not care what people say about any of us. Some real POS here, like Daniel and a few others, know they have carte blanche to do and say whatever they want.
Stop being a cry baby.
Bogart, you are right. We should have some sort of strategy to deal with them. I vote to ignore them completely, have our say and be done with it. They are not worth the keystrokes.
There is a difference between name-calling and defamation. Ask Inga Saffron. When I call you as asshole, that is name-calling, not defamation.
In case you forget, this is MY page and I tolerate fucking opinions from Left and Right that I don’t agree with.
If you don’t like my rules, you know where the door is.
Wanda, it’s unfortunate but what you’re saying may be our only course of action. What is really annoying though is that Stu appears to say that it’s only important if someone annoys him and the rest of us he does not give a damn about.
I realize this site belongs to Stu but he also has to realize that without most of the users on both sides of the aisle he wouldn’t have a site worth going to. The few idiots here, with Daniel being the lead idiot, Do nothing but lower the quality of this site.
I’m not sure why abortion supporters always assume it is a religious issue. It’s not; it is an issue of right versus wrong. One of the great pro-lifers was Nat Hentoff, a Jewish-born atheist. Our Constitution guarantees “LIFE, LIBERTY, etc…” How easily we look the other way while millions of lives are snuffed out without a care by the nation. But our Constitution also guarantees you the right to be wrong.
If you’re so ‘pro-life’ how do you feel about the death penalty?
The VP issues are a distraction, but I will say this. Vance did not wear eye liner to avoid assignment to an Iraq war zone. Walz’s abandonment of his unit is proven and disgusting, and what about 30 very weird trips to China? But let’s get to the only issue that matters, the ultimate litmus test — border invasion.
Biden and Harris have never (and cannot) explained why allowing 10 million unvetted illegals (perhaps twice that) into this nation is a good thing. If you have one, let’s hear it. If you believe that Harris just woke up and will truly defend the border now, you are a fool. If you do not think that the illegals in this country are a major threat to the nation’s economic, political, cultural and law enforcement stability, then say so and I will waste no more time in your space. I go with Musk’s opinion that the Democrats’ reliance on the border invasion to facilitate the slide of democracy into one-party rule is the major existential threat to our country. If you buy into John Lennon’s world without borders just say it. C’mon man.
Great post here, chock full of the truth! An honest and sensible retort? I’m seriously doubting it. Outstanding submission, Lou!
As an aside. It gave me a laugh when the Olympics played “imagine,” which preaches as world without borders, when the purpose of the Games is competition between, yes, borders.
They’re French. It’s what they do.
JD Vance is scarier to me than Donald Trump, if that’s even possible. The thought that this man, with an affinity to folks on the dark web, like the aforementioned Peter Thiel, and Calvin Yarvin, with whom Vance agrees that American Democracy should give way to a monarchial system, and that he’ll be one heartbeat away from the presidency of a 78 year old obese man, is positively frightening. I hope that gender gap that I’ve been reading about recently that the Trump Vance ticket is experiencing brings more women out to vote than ever–and they already outvote men, anyway.
Mark, meet Aloysius
I admire that Vance worked hard, used his gift of intelligence to achieve his life’s goals. I admire his military service, going through Marine boot camp is very difficult. I believe his initial views of Trump were correct. The fact that he worked for Peter Thiel and was successful should be admired. Being successful is the goal of most Americans. His flip-flopping views can be used to point out he is either confused or an opportunistic politician. As we age our views on issues change. Regan was a Democrat who changed his party. His views obviously evolved and changed. Vance’s statement about “Catwomen” and abortion will hurt the Republican Party’s chances for success. Overall, Vance is a rags to riches success story. In the movie his grand-mom said “ JD don’t forget where you come from.”
Aloysius, meet Mark.
They are both correct.
Just an update on the drag photo. Here’s one where he’s acting sexy. https://www.thedailybeast.com/second-photo-alleging-to-be-jd-vance-in-drag-posted-online
Here’s one that suggests he wasn’t at a costume party. https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-photos-emerge-of-jd-vance-dressed-in-drag
Here’s a goofy one from his high school year book of him posing in the boy’s bathroom, with three girls pretending to use the urinals.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13742781/JD-Vance-posing-female-classmates-urinals-photo.html
I don’t think any of these are particularly damaging. The usual suspects on the right have already attacked him for having an Indian wife and kids, i.e, helping with “the replacement.” And, who, (with the exception of Stu, myself and all the commenters here) couldn’t be somewhat embarrassed by something they did between the ages of 16 and 26?
The only thing it does somewhat support is that reportedly (though I’ve seen no documentary evidence of it) Vance was very much in support of LGBTQIA rights before 2021 or so. If so, that would fit with Stu’s theme that Vance keeps changing his positions.
Thanks for the updates, and, yes, he formerly was LGBTQIA+ friendly.
Stu, have you written anything about WALZ ? This Liar, almost a Traitor, and terrible politician, should never be on the same stage as Vance !
Another genius heard from. Why don’t you enlighten us all and share a list of Walz’s lies and “treason?” We could all use a laugh today.
Or cry dear freeze at how pathetically deluded the cult members are.
WTAF? In what way? Defend your absurd pronouncement. And Stu did write about Walz. Pay attention.
I wrote about Walz two days ago.