I imagine when Vance and I look around, we both see a lot of historically rather wealthy progressives who purport to care for the poor, but tend to express that care by supporting bad government programs that don’t actually lift people out of poverty (or lower-middle-class status) where as a slightly- to very-right-leaning economic policy would do more. For my part, that is one of the lessons I learned from watching Thatcherism play out in the UK. Vance and I would undoubtedly set different specific tax rates. We would undoubtedly have different ideas about how the tax system should address the issue of child care. I’m sure I’ll have plenty negative to say when he is VP (because at the rate we’re going, I don’t see Democrats winning the White House again this year). But I see a lot in his background that can usefully inform this and other debates that again, I just don’t think the Bushes, or Romney, or Trump had. At least Clinton got sort of close, I guess?

Bottom line: I have policy beefs with Vance. But in terms of his background and experiences he will bring to the table, I think there is a lot that is of value.