A while back a lot of us had a round the blog discussion of the J. D. Vance book and later, movie, Hillbilly Elegy. I read the book a couple of times, and then caught the movie on Netflix. I was deeply engrossed by the book and the movie. I knew the characters; they were were my childhood neighbors who came north to earn enough money to retire to their mountain homes.
They were my sister's childhood friend, Starlet, whose family home was high in the Great Smokey Mountains, just west of the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. They even were one of my brother's several wives and her children. He always had a soft spot for little women who needed help.
I was not the least surprised when I heard Vance, who had become an investment banker, had entered politics. I was surprised to read he had declared himself as Republican. Given his background, how could that be! He is running for the Senate seat vacated by Rob Portman, an Ohio Representative appointed by George W. Bush to the Senate seat vacated by George Voinovich . A long line of Republican dominance there.
But how could a self made mountain kid be a Republican? Well, he was a fundamentalist Christian, who tend to be Republican. More information trickled along to me. Vance characterized Trump as an idiot, and worse. Both Portman and Trump called Vance a R.I.N.O., a Republican in Name Only. I wondered if Vance was a flank move.
And this morning's news is curiouser and curiouser. Apparently Vance was speaking at an engagement when an aid brought him a phone to take a call from a Trump minion. Vance had apologized for calling Trump reprehensible, and now Trump was endorsing Vance, over five other well known candidates.
Maybe Trump is the flank move.
I'm sure every state has wonderful and not so wonderful stories of political shindigs. I'm sure big money is behind most everything, except possibly the election of Barack Obama. Most importantly, it is only six months to the mid term election. Vote. Encourage everyone you know to vote. Please support "get out the vote" programs to register teens and others.
Sad that he buckles under pressure.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a flank move to me. I suspect one of many to come. Everybody must vote.
ReplyDeleteVote, vote, vote! There is SO much at stake. I am terrified.
ReplyDeleteChristian Fundamentalists are a veritable hotbed for far right-wing convictions, Q-Anon and Trump nonsense these days.
ReplyDeleteIt is a whole new game isn't it. Reagan opened that box , slime has been oozing out every since. Of course we vote- voting may not be enough .
ReplyDeleteSigh. We are in full election mode here at the moment. Appalling lies are being told. Voting here is compulsory - but there is no compulsion to make it formal. A friend of my partner has asserted that he will get signed off (to meet the requirement) but will not cast a vote that can be accepted, simply drawing on the ballot and dropping it into the box with no candidates selected. I despair.
ReplyDeleteAs EC just mentioned- oh the tales that are being told down here at the moment! These days I’m not politically minded in any way but…..
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeletePollies the world over do not deserve the title; they are all attention-seeking, narcissists with a a total inability to see beyond their own noses. We have local elections in a couple of weeks (akin to your mid-terms) which are used to assess the mood of the people but is a complete farce because we still have the first past the post system ...oh I'm going stop there or this will turn into an essay and I might blow a gasket... Suffice to say I understand your alarm. YAM xx
I hope every Republican, RINO or otherwise, gets trounced in the mid terms. To contemplate the Republicans regaining control of the house is the stuff of nightmares.
ReplyDeleteHave to wonder what Vance's objective is in running for office.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe these fools are still begging for a Trump endorsement. Democrats need to get our act together, and get people out to vote.
ReplyDeleteYou wonder how people end up where they do. I am told the local Con candidate is a great guy, but I wonder how that can be.
ReplyDeleteGet out the vote will be really crucial this year!
ReplyDeleteFighting vote suppression will be critical. Vance has said some appalling things, totally prejudiced against anyone not white and male, not a person I could ever respect. There's a lot of cowardice showing in the GOP.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not understand this allegiance to Trump. Even though they KNOW that he's a despicable human being. It's sickening.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy here in Pennsylvania too,Joanne. Dr.Oz for Governor! Endorsed by Trump! The mute button on my TV is getting lots of use - that Trump voice again...horrible.
ReplyDeleteMary
Glad to be able to comment at last....goodness only knows what the glitch was...
ReplyDeleteI wish politics could be divorced from political parties...their monopoly keeps out honest people who just want to represent the ordinary person.
I am hoping for the Democrats to be successful in the next election.
ReplyDeleteYour election sounds much as ours over here - suspect.
ReplyDeleteWay too long since I've visited you. Impressed at how you keep writing such poignant and power posts. Alliteration aside, I've been distracted by writing a book and miss my essay writing days. High hopes to return to that venue as my morning pages don't really suffice as writing anything worth a poop. I still start my day by reading the news. I wish I didn't. I hope in Ohio your vote will count. Mine in Texas does not. I hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand Trump endorsing Vance is related to Peter Thiel. Thiel is a very conservative venture capitalist who donates heavily to Republican candidates. Vance appears to be one of those and I think that the reason Trump is endorsing Vance is related to that. Because as we know, if there is money involved, Trump will be lurking around in the slime looking for it.
ReplyDeleteWhat's that saying, "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do little things with great love" (Mother Teresa). I will vote, but I worry that it won't be enough.
ReplyDeleteYes, Vote! And as you said, encourage others to vote as well!
ReplyDeleteElections are everywhere at the moment our federal one is due in a few weeks France just had one to me they all seem like little children fighting over a lollie but it is the best way of government we have so far.
ReplyDeleteI'm really worried about the coming elections. I don't know what would happen if Trump's cronies got into office and even worse, Trump himself. What would the world think of the U.S. if that happened?
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the movie and was also surprise Vance declared himself a Republican. The Republican party has embraced the culture wars to get votes and money. There are problems in both parties but the worse are the Trumpers in the Republican party. We need people thinking about policies not Qanon crap.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand it either.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a thing though, this jockeying for tRUMP support. We have Dr. Oz supported by tRUMP. His opponent, McCormick, is showing video of himself in Sturgis with a bunch of tRUMP supporting motorcyclists, calling Dr. Oz 'too woke' for Pennsylvania. My god. Will the bullshit EVER end?
It's always a shock when someone you assumed was a dyed-in-the-wool progressive suddenly turns out to be anything but. Like people here who present themselves as progressive but turn out to be die-hard Brexiters.
ReplyDelete