How J. D. Vance Can Make It through His Trial by Fire

Lessons from his predecessors.

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Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio) speaks at a campaign rally at the Reno Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev., July 30, 2024.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

J. D.Vance is undergoing the trial by fire that all newly prominent Republicans suffer. He will probably get through this, but he should learn from the mistakes and successes of his predecessors.

Sarah Palin is the best modern example of how to self-destruct under pressure. The then-obscure first-term Alaska governor flew out of the political gates with a dynamite convention speech. This propelled the McCain-Palin ticket into the lead for the first time in months. It looked like a new star was born.

Henry Olsen

About the Author

Henry Olsen

Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and the author of The Working-Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism.

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