As chaos reigns on the Democrats’ side, the only uncertainty for us Republicans is Donald Trump’s choice of a vice president. No one knows what he will do, and he says that he is still thinking about it, but we will know by the start of the GOP convention on Monday.
Some sources have a longer list of prospects, but most observers think the choice is down to three: J.D. Vance, Doug Burgum and Marco Rubio.
Trump apparently isn’t going to pick a black or a woman, which is fine with me, although I continue to think that Tulsi Gabbard would have been his best choice. And there are some names I would have liked to see among the finalists, like Tom Cotton. On the other hand, I am relieved to see a few names left off the list (Vivek, I’m thinking of you).
Of the supposed three finalists, my favorite by a wide margin is Marco Rubio. Marco is a superb campaigner and if called on would be an excellent president. He is a known commodity with sterling character who would provide some assurance to the non-Trump wing of the party. It was not many years ago that he was considered a conservative firebrand, and he articulates the conservative position on immigration–potentially the decisive issue this year–better than anyone. In years past, I had a fair amount of contact with Rubio and consider him a genuinely good guy, something that can’t be taken for granted in Washington. (I assume here that the problem of Trump and Rubio both being Florida residents can be overcome without significant trouble.)
Doug Burgum would be my second choice. He got rich in the private sector, like Trump, and came to politics relatively late. He made his money in software, but when he became governor of North Dakota he immersed himself in energy. I had the opportunity to spend a little time with Burgum last summer, and found him to be an exceptionally smart guy. When it comes to energy, he has a deep knowledge of the data and understands the issues. In fact, I would rather see him as Secretary of Energy than Vice President. Beyond that, Burgum exudes a stability and normality that would, in terms of personality, lend some balance to the GOP ticket.
J.D. Vance is said to be the current front-runner. Vance became famous as the author of Hillbilly Elegy, which I confess I haven’t read. He parlayed that fame into a Senate seat from Ohio. Vance is seen as the “Trumpiest” of the VP candidates, and is said to be a good friend of Donald Trump, Jr. I haven’t followed Vance’s Senate career closely, but he is solidly conservative on most issues, including immigration. But he is considered to be more open to government meddling in the economy than is approved by the Reagan wing of the party, and in foreign policy he comes, I think, perilously close to isolationism. That perspective is popular with the young, but I think that the world need U.S. leadership, perhaps more than at any time since 1945. At 39 years old, Vance’s political views are also said to be evolving: he bitterly denounced Trump in 2016, for example. That is fine, I am glad to see politicians grow with experience. But I would prefer that they fully evolve before being next door to the Oval Office.
Those are my views. What will Trump do? Perhaps he will surprise us.
Finally, this thought: in 2016, Trump selected Mike Pence, a traditional Republican politician, a budget hawk and a social conservative, with whom Trump could not have felt much affinity. He must have seen Pence’s selection as representing a sort of balance, and an olive branch to Washington Republicans. Rightly or wrongly, I am pretty sure Trump doesn’t think that decision turned out well. So maybe this time, he will be looking for more of a kindred spirit. And maybe that will weigh in favor of J.D. Vance.
I hope not.
