Since he garnered the endorsement of failed, one-term, twice-impeached former President Donald Trump, Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance has rocketed to the top of the polls.
The Hill reports that a Fox News poll released earlier this week shows Vance with a comfortable lead over his GOP rivals:
Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” led the pack with 23 percent support primary voters, more than doubling the 11 percent support he got in the same poll in March. Former state Treasurer Josh Mandel, Vance’s main primary rival, came in second with 18 percent, a drop from 20 percent in March.
Investment banker Mike Gibbons, Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan (R) and former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken rounded out the top five, with 13 percent support, 11 percent and 6 percent, respectively. Gibbons’s support nosedived from 22 percent in March, while Dolan’s rose from 7 percent and Timken’s dropped from 9 percent.
The irony of the Vance-Trump alliance is that Vance once called Trump the “American Hitler” but is now wrapping his arms around the Donald like he’s a life raft on a sinking ship, which is very much what the Republican Party seems to be with the recent infighting that even had Reps. Lauren Boebert (CO) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) almost coming to punches at a recent party retreat.
Amidst all this sturm and drang, Vance was holding a rally today in the Buckeye State when a man approached him and asked for a refund on the price of Vance’s book. Take a look:
Yes, the man who approaches Vance is a member of the comedy duo The Good Liars, but be sure and note the look on Vance’s face when he’s asked to fork over the price of the book and also how quickly members of his campaign spirited away the intruder.
Vance may well wind up winning the GOP nomination, and he’ll likely face Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) in the general election, which should serve as a bellwether for exactly how much influence the Donald still has with voters.
For now, J.D. might want to start getting used to being interrupted in mid-sentence, because as you can tell from this sampling of his speaking style, he could send a tweaking speed freak into the deepest of sleeps.