If there was any candidate I was very suspect about in the last few years from the Republican Party, it was the current U.S. senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance.
From my disagreements about his assessment of Appalachian culture in his book, Hillbilly Elegy, perceived economic progressivism by some of his statements as a political figure, and past comments about former President Donald Trump, I was a harsh critic that outright criticized him in his seeking of the Republican senatorial nomination in the great state of Ohio.
Any readers know that back in 2021, I endorsed Josh Mandel, former Ohio state treasurer, for the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio during the 2022 midterms and lambasted Vance in a piece for Newsmax. In the article, I criticized him at every juncture possible.
On Twitter, I have called him everything from a grifter to a socialist and a fool. Most of this criticism stemmed from the fact that I bought into the idea that Vance was this elitist, northern Yankee trying to explain to northerners, Hollywood, and elitist culture about the Appalachian way, as well as how they could fix it themselves.
This writer was completely and utterly wrong about Sen. Vance as an author, and especially as a senator.
While Hillbilly Elegy still has its faults, I have grown to appreciate Sen. Vance's thoughts on the region and his reflection on how the white working class can prop themselves up for prosperity. As a senator, he has made an unbelievable impression on me and many others in the conservative movement.
Vance has been a critical voice in shrinking the influence of the deep state, nanny state, and military-industrial complex in foreign affairs. More than any freshman in the Senate and House GOP conferences, Vance has been an outspoken voice for liberty, nationalism, and conservative cultural values that the GOP should be basing the party around right now.
Not only was I wrong that he would make a decent senator, but I was also wrong that his vision of national populism could not mesh with the liberty-centered foundation that I think the GOP should mold into.
Since 2021, my views on the outlook of the party have changed dramatically from being a libertarian conservative that cared only about shrinking the size of government into a national populist who prioritizes fighting the necessary battles of culture, tyranny and authoritarianism through the smallest government avenues possible. Vance, Josh Hawley, Matt Gaetz and other populist conservatives embody the warrior-like mentality that many establishment conservatives lack.
Vance's success has been shown through his passion for his state of Ohio during the East Palestine derailment crisis.
Vance realizes the struggles of this country, whether it be the struggles of rust-belt and blue-collar workers, the abandonment of East Palestinians in Ohio by the Biden administration, or the lambasting of the continued dominance of foreign affairs by the military-industrial complex.
Sen. J.D. Vance deserves his flowers, and I am self-aware enough to admit when I was wrong. He is one of the figures the GOP needs to make into a star because he deserves it.
Kenneth David Cody III is a conservative writer and activist from Northeast Tennessee. He also serves as the Southern Regional Director for Republicans for National Renewal, and is chairman of the Cocke County GOP. Mr. Cody is also an Economics and English Teacher at Cosby High School. He has an M.A. in Teaching 6-12th Grade English, from Tusculum University, and a B.A. in English Literature, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Read Kenny Cody's Reports — More Here.