Eugene Robinson on J.D. Vance: Is He a Good Enough Politician To Get Elected to the U.S. Senate?

SCARBOROUGH How surprised are ░░░░░░░░ that JD Vance a ░░░░░░░░ sitting in green rooms ░░░░░░░░ some time who was ░░░░░░░░ critical of Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ made this conversion Are ░░░░░░░░ lot of his peers ░░░░░░░░ a lot of his ░░░░░░░░ in the media world ░░░░░░░░ BALL I think you ░░░░░░░░ tell from the reaction ░░░░░░░░ the article and to ░░░░░░░░ interviews that he s ░░░░░░░░ recently that a lot ░░░░░░░░ people are surprised This ░░░░░░░░ a book that sold ░░░░░░░░ many many copies Many ░░░░░░░░ read it many people ░░░░░░░░ to it So it ░░░░░░░░ clearly a powerful description ░░░░░░░░ where JD Vance was ░░░░░░░░ from his roots in ░░░░░░░░ his childhood in his ░░░░░░░░ family growing up in ░░░░░░░░ Ohio So the fact ░░░░░░░░ he would then turn ░░░░░░░░ and you know where ░░░░░░░░ originally was to say ░░░░░░░░ see people responding to ░░░░░░░░ and his issues but ░░░░░░░░ don t like Trump ░░░░░░░░ So that s where ░░░░░░░░ idea of a flip ░░░░░░░░ flipper comes from He ░░░░░░░░ saying I appreciated Trump ░░░░░░░░ just was against him ░░░░░░░░ he s saying that ░░░░░░░░ s now come full ░░░░░░░░ by coming back to ░░░░░░░░ because he originally agreed ░░░░░░░░ Trump s issues So ░░░░░░░░ s a rather complicated ░░░░░░░░ tap dance that he ░░░░░░░░ doing here But he ░░░░░░░░ has seen if you ░░░░░░░░ a viable political career ░░░░░░░░ today s Republican Party ░░░░░░░░ have to voice support ░░░░░░░░ Trump and he s ░░░░░░░░ saying that in so ░░░░░░░░ words SCARBOROUGH Yeah And ░░░░░░░░ here s a quote ░░░░░░░░ reference from Molly s ░░░░░░░░ Vance admits that it ░░░░░░░░ him time to come ░░░░░░░░ but points to his ░░░░░░░░ and commentary as evidence ░░░░░░░░ understood Trump s appeal ░░░░░░░░ most I sort of ░░░░░░░░ Trump s issues from ░░░░░░░░ beginning Vance says I ░░░░░░░░ thought this guy was ░░░░░░░░ serious and was not ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ make progress on the ░░░░░░░░ I cared about Adding ░░░░░░░░ is the leader of ░░░░░░░░ movement and if I ░░░░░░░░ care about these people ░░░░░░░░ I say the things ░░░░░░░░ care about I need ░░░░░░░░ just suck it up ░░░░░░░░ support him Gene this ░░░░░░░░ a guy that put ░░░░░░░░ opposition to Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ religious terms five years ░░░░░░░░ and saying as a ░░░░░░░░ in so many words ░░░░░░░░ witness would be compromised ░░░░░░░░ they supported Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ everyone was watching ROBINSON ░░░░░░░░ this is a as ░░░░░░░░ said at least he ░░░░░░░░ the cynicism right there ░░░░░░░░ front and just owns ░░░░░░░░ in a kind of ░░░░░░░░ way And it should ░░░░░░░░ us I guess but ░░░░░░░░ surprise us He just ░░░░░░░░ this is the price ░░░░░░░░ being a Republican candidate ░░░░░░░░ anything these days is ░░░░░░░░ you have to bend ░░░░░░░░ knee to Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ he s bending the ░░░░░░░░ to Trump My question ░░░░░░░░ it s you know ░░░░░░░░ question amplified by this ░░░░░░░░ and other things is ░░░░░░░░ good a politician really ░░░░░░░░ JD Vance And I ░░░░░░░░ we ll see as ░░░░░░░░ tries to win the ░░░░░░░░ seat But I question ░░░░░░░░ he s anywhere near ░░░░░░░░ good a politician as ░░░░░░░░ is an effective writer ░░░░░░░░ thought Hillbilly Eulogy was ░░░░░░░░ effective book I frankly ░░░░░░░░ it was more about ░░░░░░░░ own family s dysfunction ░░░░░░░░ anything else but he ░░░░░░░░ powerfully about that But ░░░░░░░░ he a good enough ░░░░░░░░ to get elected to ░░░░░░░░ U S Senate I ░░░░░░░░ the jury is very ░░░░░░░░ out on that.”