#nce

From the July 16, 2024 analysis:

— Donald Trump’s selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate was unusual in some important ways, both in terms of timing and in terms of Vance’s relative lack of high-level officeholding experience.

— It also, unlike many past selections, was not a pick focused on uniting a party.

— Trump ignored ill-considered calls that he identify his running mate during the early months of 2024. It’s always prudent to make a new pick after the context has settled, a point reinforced by a pair of monumental events that happened recently (the June 27 presidential debate and an assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend).

— Still, given that Vance seemed like a top contender for months, these big events may not have influenced the selection.

— Vance’s inexperience and alignment with Trump, particularly on the events of Jan. 6, 2021, may give Democrats some electoral arguments.

i was born a choker.