JD Vance: From Never-Trump to MAGA, Influenced by Niche Thinkers
Submitted by MAGA
Posted 90 days ago
JD Vance, the Republican nominee for Vice President, has been making waves with his unique worldview and intellectual influences. Vance, who was once a vocal critic of Donald Trump, has since become a key ally and leader of the GOP's populist-nationalist wing.
Vance's transition from Never-Trump conservative to MAGA firebrand was influenced by his relationships with a handful of niche conservative writers and thinkers. These thinkers espouse a variety of viewpoints, but they are bound together by the belief that the liberal project of "progress" has been a mistake.
Many of these thinkers are still far from being household names, but with Vance on the top of the GOP ticket, they are only one step away from having a direct line to the White House. Among the key thinkers who have influenced Vance's intellectual trajectory are those who push for post-liberal regime change, those who pine for the cultural conservatism of Viktor Orbán's Hungary, and even one outright monarchist.
Vance's background is also unique for a Republican candidate. He was born in Middletown, Ohio, and was raised primarily by his grandparents, who were union Democrats. He served in the Marine Corps and graduated from Ohio State University before attending Yale Law School.
After graduating from Yale, Vance joined Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm run by the Silicon Valley scion Peter Thiel. He later started his own venture firm, Narya, based in Ohio. Thiel has been a significant influence on Vance, and the two share a number of intellectual interests.
Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, was published in 2016 and was widely praised for its compassionate and discerning analysis of the white working class. The book argued that the decline of post-industrial America was due in large part to the social pathologies of the white working class, rather than the decline of the industrial economy in the U.S.
During the 2016 election, Vance was a vocal critic of Donald Trump, calling him a "cultural heroin" and a "noxious" influence on the white working class. However, he has since come to support Trump's policies and was even baptized into the Catholic church in 2019, crediting his conversion to his exposure to the writings of the French philosopher René Girard.
Vance's current intellectual influences include the conservative localist Rod Dreher, the reactionary blogger Curtis Yarvin, and the "postliberal" Catholic philosopher Patrick Deneen. He has been described as "thoroughgoingly illiberal in his instincts" and is skeptical of the political project of enlightenment liberalism.
In the Senate, Vance has emerged as a dogged defender of Trump and the standard-bearer of the "New Right," a loose movement of young conservatives trying to push the Republican Party in a more populist, nationalist, and culturally conservative direction. He has been a leading critic of U.S. support for Ukraine and has suggested that the Biden administration is allowing fentanyl to cross the Southern border as part of a deliberate strategy to kill Republican voters.
Vance's unique worldview and intellectual influences make him a fascinating figure in the Republican Party. As he continues to rise in prominence, it will be interesting to see how his ideas shape the direction of the GOP and the country as a whole.
Sources:
rumble.com
webcache.googleusercontent.compolitico.com
webcache.googleusercontent.compolitico.com
Vance's transition from Never-Trump conservative to MAGA firebrand was influenced by his relationships with a handful of niche conservative writers and thinkers. These thinkers espouse a variety of viewpoints, but they are bound together by the belief that the liberal project of "progress" has been a mistake.
Many of these thinkers are still far from being household names, but with Vance on the top of the GOP ticket, they are only one step away from having a direct line to the White House. Among the key thinkers who have influenced Vance's intellectual trajectory are those who push for post-liberal regime change, those who pine for the cultural conservatism of Viktor Orbán's Hungary, and even one outright monarchist.
Vance's background is also unique for a Republican candidate. He was born in Middletown, Ohio, and was raised primarily by his grandparents, who were union Democrats. He served in the Marine Corps and graduated from Ohio State University before attending Yale Law School.
After graduating from Yale, Vance joined Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm run by the Silicon Valley scion Peter Thiel. He later started his own venture firm, Narya, based in Ohio. Thiel has been a significant influence on Vance, and the two share a number of intellectual interests.
Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, was published in 2016 and was widely praised for its compassionate and discerning analysis of the white working class. The book argued that the decline of post-industrial America was due in large part to the social pathologies of the white working class, rather than the decline of the industrial economy in the U.S.
During the 2016 election, Vance was a vocal critic of Donald Trump, calling him a "cultural heroin" and a "noxious" influence on the white working class. However, he has since come to support Trump's policies and was even baptized into the Catholic church in 2019, crediting his conversion to his exposure to the writings of the French philosopher René Girard.
Vance's current intellectual influences include the conservative localist Rod Dreher, the reactionary blogger Curtis Yarvin, and the "postliberal" Catholic philosopher Patrick Deneen. He has been described as "thoroughgoingly illiberal in his instincts" and is skeptical of the political project of enlightenment liberalism.
In the Senate, Vance has emerged as a dogged defender of Trump and the standard-bearer of the "New Right," a loose movement of young conservatives trying to push the Republican Party in a more populist, nationalist, and culturally conservative direction. He has been a leading critic of U.S. support for Ukraine and has suggested that the Biden administration is allowing fentanyl to cross the Southern border as part of a deliberate strategy to kill Republican voters.
Vance's unique worldview and intellectual influences make him a fascinating figure in the Republican Party. As he continues to rise in prominence, it will be interesting to see how his ideas shape the direction of the GOP and the country as a whole.
Sources:
rumble.com
webcache.googleusercontent.compolitico.com
webcache.googleusercontent.compolitico.com
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