Micah Beckwith and JD Vance share a number of characteristics. Both lack governing experience. Both are lightly tethered to reality. Both are Christian Nationalists. And both are running for positions that–should they win–would put them a heartbeat away from the power to do real and lasting damage.
Since I last enumerated the statements from the SnydeReport’s “Book of Beckwith,” that running list of Beckwith’s wack-a-doodle statements has grown. Among the recent additions: Beckwith has compared vaccinations to “what the Nazis did to the Jews,” and says vaccine mandates are “paramount to rape.” He’s provided “3 reasons why you should be a “Christian Nationalist” and insisted that the fact that Fishers (an Indianapolis bedroom community) had allowed a Pride parade proves his contention that the community has long been guilty of “sex grooming.” Here’s the quote:
Sexually grooming children has been a part of the Fishers culture for a long time. From what’s happening in the Library to the schools and now this. It’s unfortunately par for the course.
If you think JD Vance is less of a looney, allow me to refer you to a recent column by E.J. Dionne in the Washington Post. (For those of you unfamiliar with Dionne, you should know that he is a deeply religious person, not a critic of religiosity.) His observations about Vance were part of a column suggesting ways that Kamala Harris might bring Americans together to support families and children.
Rather unintentionally, JD Vance has created an opportunity for her to do this. Trump’s running mate is the perfect foil for Harris to show that being pro-family and pro-children requires bringing our warring political tribes together.
Vance has had quite a time of it, trying to explain away his misogynistic language. It’s not just his comments about “childless cat ladies” or his claim that teachers who don’t have kids of their own are a problem for education. (That one took this student of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Benedictine monks aback.) Especially revealing was his dismissal of “women who think that, truly, the liberationist path is to spend 90 hours a week working in a cubicle at McKinsey instead of starting a family and having children.”
He later added: “They’re all fundamentally atheist or agnostic. They have no real value system.” With God out of the picture, they seek meaning in movements for “racial or gender equity.”
I won’t even mention Vance’s assertions that immigrants from Haiti are eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs…..
Most folks who are politically active agree with Mike Braun when he dismisses his running-mate’s bizarre and deeply unpopular opinions by pointing out that voters don’t base their votes on who’s running for Lieutenant Governor. Candidates for Vice-President almost never matter either.
In this particular election, however, voters should rethink their importance.
I’m not the only person noting that MAGA Mike Braun is 70, and that– while he seems healthy– actuarial tables suggest the odds of “something happening” aren’t insignificant. Having a culture warrior Lieutenant Governor who knows little or nothing about agriculture or tourism–the tasks assigned to the office–is troubling enough. The thought of a Governor Beckwith who might have to deal with a public health crisis or uphold the Constitutional separation of church and state is another matter entirely.
At least Braun seems currently healthy. The odds favoring JD Vance’s ascension to the Presidency in the event Trump wins are much, much higher. Trump’s mental and physical deterioration has become too obvious to ignore, even by our “sane washing” media. Granted, he has always displayed significant signs of mental incapacity, but it has gotten steadily worse. As one Facebook meme notes, if your grandpa “went off” on sharks and electric cars and Hannibal Lecter, you’d take him in for evaluation. You certainly wouldn’t put him in charge of anything.
Furthermore, if Braun’s age of 70 is a legitimate concern, what can we say about Trump, who is 78–an age when even sane people begin to decline. The odds of Trump making it through a four year term without dying (or hiding under a desk babbling nonsense) are miniscule. America would then get President Vance, whose weirdness has been on continual display and whose entire experience with government has been 18 months as a Senator.
Neither Beckwith nor Vance could be elected to those posts, but both would have better-than-even odds of ascending to them.
In a normal year, with two normal political parties and second-tier candidates with normal qualifications, we’d be justified in ignoring those odds. This year, we aren’t.
In an interview with Margaret Brennan Vance refused to acknowledge the statements made by government officials in Springfield and insisted that his constituents told him about the cat/dog/immigrant problem. Assume that he did get a report of that – where was his investigation and connection with authorities -it shows reactive behavior not intelligent inquiry. But who listens to any of his interviews? Margaret in a later interview pointed out that Vance would not acknowledge any information provided by government officials in Springfield – if he won’t then the voters supporting him won’t either
And JD said to Dana Bash yesterday on her CNN show:
“If you would just shut up”
I’m shocked this is not being covered by the media”
Thanks to progress, we are the safest and most comfortable humans ever. That should and could make for a most comfortable electorate. Rush and Rupert thought they could and did make a fortune from this reality. They and others scared and angered voters to a higher level of passion by making up stories—no more boring conversations about what you watched on TV last night.
The rest of the end story of the Republican Party is history.
Trump is six years beyond even being able to buy life insurance. Unfortunately Trumps vitriol is finally getting a reaction in the form his little mind has never anticipated in the form of assassination attempts. A second assassin was discovered at his golf course yesterday.
You are absolutely right. Just like on a Biden/Harris ticket I felt I was most likely voting for President Harris and I was good with that. “President Vance” is scarier than a second Trump term.
Last week my wife and I traveled across northern Indiana between Cleveland and Chicago while on a baseball tour. I only caught snippets of the debate analysis on TV in hotel rooms. YIKES! I witnessed a whole new definition for the word “deranged”. Raving lunatic no longer is strong enough to describe the aging (badly) fool. OF COURSE people like Vance, Trump and whatever Indiana produces as Republicans belong in padded rooms and fed soft food. They are a menace to humanity, not just the country.
BTW, I realized that I should have invested in traffic cone and barrel companies years ago. It was virtual highway construction all across I-80/I-90 from Gary to the Ohio line. It looks like Biden’s infrastructure action is working, because there were hundreds of workers in safety vests all along the way.
From what I’ve read, Dan, the shooter, stuck a gun through the bushes about 450 yards away. That is the distance of a very long par four on a golf course. At that distance, you cannot see the green or pin placement. However, we are to believe that a Secret Service Agent saw the tip of an Assault Rifle through the bushes and opened fire in that general direction.
They better clean up that story a little bit because it’s not remotely believable. Also, unlike the Crooks assassin, the shooter had plenty of stories on the Internet. What might be interesting is this guy appears to have a mental illness yet was able to buy an Assault Rifle. When will they take action?
As for Micah, he fits the mold of the Christian Nationalist on display in the documentary Bad Faith. Paul Weyrich is the conservative mastermind behind the Christian National movement since before Ronald Reagan. His organization has been the epicenter of the conservative movement – the Council for National Policy is the umbrella organization for the entire conservative movement. Their goal is to destroy the Satan-run Democratic Republic and replace it with an autocratic Christian Nationalist leader and servants loyal to the leader. I’m unsure if JD Vance was their top choice for Veep since he doesn’t come across as a real believer.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_for_National_Policy
Todd, I think we need more information before judging that the story needs to be cleaned up. The AR15 with a scope is accurate well beyond 450 yards. And, it’s typical for agents to clear holes in advance of Trump teeing it up.
Just a bit of odd curiosity: did Beckwith really say “paramount” instead of “tantamount,” or is that a typo?
Linda, I think the probability that Vance really received direct reports from Springfield residents about pets being eaten is somewhere south of 0.0001%. Trump is teaching him how to lie better.
Todd, the secret service agents are not just standing beside Trump, but creating a fairly large bubble around him. Apparently, the agents that saw the muzzle were a hole or two ahead of him. It’s still fortunate, but if that’s the kind of thing you are actively looking for, then it’s hardly unbelievable.
I watched Bad Faith yesterday and it is a truly eye-opening documentary. I wish it was required viewing for all junior – high school students across the country.
It is available FREE on tubi.
When I watched Vance tell Dana Bash of CNN to shut up, I was shocked. I could imagine IQ45 saying that to her but Vance? Really? That’s who we want leading the country? I don’t think so. Then I watched Vance on Meet the Press and then Mayor Pete came up and mopped up the show with his intelligence and kindness. That’s the kind of leaders we need. I think Vance and 45 need to be cited for instigating terrorism in Springfield.
I was in Springfield on a business visit with members of the Haitian community last Friday, and they are terrified. They are keeping their kids indoors and away from windows; the schools and hospitals are shuttered and guarded for fear of an AR15 crackpot from who knows where cruising into town.
Meanwhile, the city itself is glad to have them there. The arrival of the hard-working and (by comparison with their native-born neighbors…) peace-loving Haitian working population has resulted in a boom for business, manufacturing, construction, and housing. All the problems are GROWTH problems.
Springfield’s Republican mayor and Ohio’s Republican governor both strongly support the Haitians, but Trump wants to come in to Springfield to create more chaos with one of his rallies in a week or so. It’s insane…
400 yards with a AK is testing its effectiveness. it would probably just wound the idiot. hed be better off running to lose. thru the last 8 years trump has made news by no news, just a kid in a playskol(sorry fished price) chair with his rattles,(real danger is behind his curtain)but that tactic has kept him full of shit his entire life,now come vance.(Just Doesnt) with his same motives. guess their both in a run off on who can muster the most irrtating minutes on air everyday. there isnt much to any of their blabbing. but as the VP of CBS said, it sells advertising. but finally were all board of this crap. the resurrection republicans are coming, if they get any minutes between ads. but christian natls, now were into some religious cold war. us and them. anyone tired of that too? their probably more worried of tax status over content. Im being pointed out up here by them., nov 6 will atest to my standings… if im standing.. this ghetto kid over range rovers..this should be interesting when trump loses to a woman.. get the cross out.
They aren’t weird. They are just plain crazy and dangerous!
Not only is Vance a possible a heart beat from the Presidency, But is the most incompetent, unqualified person to sit in the Senate since Warren G. Harding. We know what kind of President he was.