J.D. Vance is a former "Never-Trumper" who once called Trump "America's Hitler", served in Iraq as a marine, and tries to portray himself as a rust belt, conservative values guy.
He seems like an early 2000s conservative republican type to me as in bring back domestic manufacturing, isolationism, and "christian values" etc.
Notably anti-Ukraine, and fairly low on the warhawk scale as far as republicans go these days imo.
Seems like a "safe" pick for Trump, idk. Maybe they'll play up the "never trump reformist" angle and try to grab a bunch of moderates who don't want to vote for Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
JD Vance was one of a couple freaks Thiel gave record-breaking millions of dollars in campaign donations to. Most of Thiel's guys failed spectacularly, Vance was one of the few Ws they got.
My parents are the Republicans that Democrats try and court (they will never vote democrat ofc), they don't really like trump but don't really hate him either , they fucking love JD Vance
The "Bring Back Domestic Manufacturing, isolationism" stuff was very much not part of early 2000's conservative republican politics. They were hyper-liberals on economics in a way that's not credible today and this was peak war on terror. His brand of politics is much closer to Trumpism than anything from the Bush era, and I'd argue its likely to be much more appealing to a broad base of people. This is pointing the way forward for the Republicans much more than the Pence pick was. Picking up the smart parts of Trump's populism without the personal baggage. The problem is it's completely superficial because these politicians are still beholden to the same elite donor base that has made everything the way it is. If they end up in power for any length of time they'll become deeply unpopular just like the third-way.
The VP pick has always been really indicative of the republicans, except for Paul Ryan. That one was just weird, but also they ate shit and lost so maybe thats why.
It seems to me Trump is going for a more "moderate" (very very relatively speaking) route this time around. It seems like he learned not to antagonize damn near every center of power in the country.
I remember when my parents gave me his book as a 'regular conservative who gets it' when he was a never-trumper. I still regret humoring them and not explaining to them in detail how it would have more utility as low ply toilet paper.