But you who philosophize disgrace And criticize all fears

                                                                                                      Bob Dylan, The Lonesome Ballad of Hattie Carroll

Let’s look at the case of James David Vance, who has made it easier for us by referring to himself as J.D.

Before he was a politician and just a Yale Law School graduate and author of a best-seller about his self-described “hillbilly” background, Vance was also a self-proclaimed “never Trumper” who variously said he “can’t stomach Trump” who Vance judged “unfit for our nation’s highest office” an “idiot” and wondered if Trump was “America’s Hitler”.

That, we should note, was then. Now, of course, Vance is vice president, a team player and chief cheerleader. Somewhere along the way of his political road to Damascus the scales fell from Vance’s eyes.

“Sometimes, of course,” he told Fox News, “I’ve disagreed with the president, but I’ve also been extremely open about the fact that I was wrong about Donald Trump. I was wrong, first of all because I believed some of the media stories that turned out to be dishonest fabrications of his record,” Vance said.

So, it wasn’t really his fault, it was the lamestream media’s. They must have fabricated all those clips showing Trump encouraging followers at his rallies to beat up protestors, calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals, referring to opponents and critics as “scum” and “vermin,” calling the media “the enemy of the people” and saying he would be a dictator for “one day” when he took office for a second time. Those clips must have been deep fakes fabricated by evil journalists.

Anyway, now we have a different, aware J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert and reader of St. Augustine, a friend to Donald Trump Jr., Charlie Kirk and, more importantly, to Kirk’s widow, who already has endorsed Vance for president in 2028.

Vance, meanwhile, has staked out new ground for himself.  In office less than a month, he showed a previously hidden talent for irony. He wasted no time going to Europe and admonishing German leadership that they should pay more respect and attention to the far-right Alternative for Germany party or AfD.  After that, Vance lectured European leadership about his fears that free speech was “in retreat” in Europe for their refusal to work with the far right.

Back in the United States, however, he hasn’t shown the same concern for free speech. He remained silent as the administration he’s part of attacked journalists, tried to intimidate and extort—successfully, by the way—media companies, tried to restrict reporting on the Pentagon and attempted to deport foreigners legally in America for public statements they’ve made.

On the other hand, when Young Republican leaders exchanged racist remarks and other comments that, at best, showed insensitivity to the Holocaust, Vance again found his concern and defended free speech. On a messaging app, the adult Young Republican leaders referred to African Americans as “the watermelon people”, used variants of the N word, spoke approvingly of gas chambers and expressed “love” for Hitler. Vance pooh poohed criticism of the “kids” for their remarks:

“Kids do stupid things, especially young boys. They tell edgy, offensive jokes. Like, that’s what kids do,” he said of the scandal. “And I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke ― telling a very offensive, stupid joke ― is cause to ruin their lives.”

C,mon. Lighten up! Where’s your sense of humor? Boys will be boys.

Vance is right in step with the leader he was “wrong” about who bemoans immigrants from “shithole” countries like Somalia while not just welcoming but inviting white refugees from former apartheid states like South Africa and wondering why the United States can’t get more immigrants from countries like Norway.

Vance first came to public attention as the champion of the little people, the forgotten men and women of America. Now he’s in lock step with the politicians who have made health insurance for the poor much more expensive, reduced Medicaid benefits and lowered taxes for the very rich.

Not to worry, though. As 2028 draws closer, don’t be surprised to see pictures of Vance hanging out with black Americans and the little people of his origins while he tries to straddle two horses that may not be going in the same direction.

Did you ever hear the story of the chameleon that tried to blend in while on a plaid blanket?