By now the whole country has heard about JD Vance, along with his boss Trump have created a monstrous lie about Haitain immigrants (legal ones mind you) in Springfield, Ohio. The more the lie has been debunked the harder Vance (and Trump) have pushed it. From the Mayor all the way up to Gov. Mike DeWine there have been please to stop the lies. Vance and Trump refuse. Vance went on CNN and flat-out said if he has to make stuff up to criticize Biden/Harris immigration policy then he’ll do so. Last night Lawrence O’Donnell reported that before Vance started pushing this bogus story his office called the Mayor of Springfield who told them is was a load of crap. No matter. Vance turned out to be correct that his LIE would make a lot of news. That’s all that mattered.
Springfield is in a world of hurt over this. Bomb threats closing schools, public buildings and against other places (hospitals) are now happening daily. Often more than one. Far right groups like the Proud Boys and Klan have shown up and started prowling around. Haitian immigrants themselves, who lest we forget were INVITED to come in large numbers to Springfield due to a lack of people to fill jobs are terrified to leave their homes. Residents in general are worried about violence breaking out, initiated by MAGAs spoiling for a fight. DeWine has had to call up his National Guard to ensure schools and other places are secure. Yet Vance who is a freaking Ohio Senator refuses to back down. Same with his boss Trump.
LA Times Opinion columnist Jackie Chalmes (who served as their DC person) summed up Vance’s attitude perfect in the headline of her OpEd which reads: Calmes: JD Vance to Springfield, Ohio: ‘You’re expendable.’ It’s worth taking the time to read. Calmes is unsparing in her criticism of Vance both as a VP candidate and when it comes to the matter at hand:
Yet as rotten a second banana as Vance is, he’s a downright disaster at his day job: U.S. senator for Ohio.
Most officeholders pride themselves on providing good constituent service, especially in troubled times. Vance, bizarrely, is suddenly the uncontested master of constituent disservice, to the point of putting lives at risk.
The problems he’s made lately for tens of thousands of his constituents in Springfield, Ohio — all to demagogue the immigration issue — amount to political malpractice, the likes of which we’ve never seen before as Trump is so fond of saying about almost anything. Only this time it’s true.
This write up in the LA Times is, starting with the headline the best description I’ve seen about what’s been taking place. And worse is going to continue. Vance has, with his boss helping decided to sacrifice Springfield for their political needs. The place means nothing more to them than an anthill and that includes all the white residents. I’m pretty sure without Secret Service protection JD Vance would be unwise to ever set foot in that town again!
I’ve written earlier this week about a sense of buyer’s remorse with Ohio voters even before Vance got the VP nod. Constituent service was at best an afterthought with him. More like a nuisance that would be a joke if constituents needs, the kind most elected official assign staff to tend to weren’t being ignored. I can’t imagine that if the Trump ticket goes down to defeat Vance will find himself with a bevy or worthy challengers (in his Party’s primary) when it’s time for re-election. Since it’s doubtful he’ll be of use to Peter Theil anymore he can forget about his former Sugar Daddy sending oil supertanker loads of money.
The plain fact is Vance doesn’t care about the harm he’s causing. With the Trump Ticket on the wrong side of damned near every issue voters in Ohio and elsewhere care about, and Trump having lost most of his advantage on the economy, immigration is about the only thing they’ve got left to try and sell. So, if as Vance bluntly said on camera he has to make up bullshit then by god he’ll do it. If a father of a boy in Springfield who died in a bus accident begs him to stop exploiting his son’s death Vance says in effect ‘piss off dude.’
Yes, it’s fair to say Vance has written off Springfield Ohio. He doesn’t CARE what happens to it. In fact I don’t think it’s UN-fair to suggest Vance hopes things get worse. That actual violence breaks out. The more the better. Trump started his ‘American Carnage’ talk back during the 2016 campaign and his Inaugural had to have been the darkest in our history. It looks for all the world that since there aren’t entire towns or small cities that look like the Gaza strip Vance is determined to, with Trump’s help, create one in the state he supposedly serves/represents.
Don’t be surprised if we see some other place get the same treatment. Team Trump is desperate these days. There is no depth they won’t sink to. Of that we can be sure. As for Ohio, they can’t do anything about Vance but one can hope their voters who have a fine Democrat who actually serves them and their state with distinction is locked in a tight race. Dare we hope that given the example Vance is providing they are hesitant to replace Sherrod Brown with yet another Republican who could turn out to be another Vance?
sad how this country puts up with & pays for Vance’s security to create and dish out hate crimes.
Trump/Vance have already been trying to create more Springfield-type locations to stir up old stories in towns that have already had some successes adjusting to influxes. Trump, out of the blue, brought up Charleroi, PA where POC immigrants are not the real problem; it’s the impending closing of the Anchor-Hocking glass-makers! Vance went to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to stir up three-year-old shit. Anywhere in this country that has been dealing with incoming populations, whether welcoming to them or not, needs to be vigilant! They may be targeted tomorrow by this hate and cruelty!
People of Ohio…YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELVES BY PUTTING HIS LYING FASCIST ASS IN OFFICE! The Haitians and other groups don’t deserve it but my GOD SMARTEN THE PHUCK UP. Saw a story where the supporters of the Palestinians won’t endorse Harris although they admit Trump will kill even more Palestinians! WHAT THE PHUCK YOU STUPID NAZI SUPPORTING ASSHOLES! And we wonder why we are where we are? PHUCKING STUPIDITY THAT’S WHY!
hillbilly boy is going to find out who is expandable on November 6th. It will be with great relish when we can point a finger at the ass-hat and tell him “you’re the expendable one”.
Ohio, between gym bag’s coddling of pedos and this criminal f*ck, please take a real hard look at your voting record and perhaps consider doing a 180? Please? For the nation?
JD Vance to Springfield, Ohio: ‘You’re expendable.’
Springfield, Ohio voters to JD Vance, ‘No, You are.’
Hey Ohio & Gov Mike DeWine
It is definitely WAY PAST TIME FOR OHIO TO RECALL A FUCKING MAGA SENATOR, ie JDVance & MAKE SURE SHERROD BROWN WINS HIS SEAT AGAIN.
You should also think twice about voting for DON THE CON trump who is only interested in victimizing & using the citizen’s of Springfield for his CORRUPT PURPOSES.
At this point Sherrod Brown is the only Ohio Senator who is actually working for Ohio’s best interests & not victimizing the citizens of their towns & cities for his own interests. The same goes for VP Kamala Harris & Tim Walz, who want to protect Springfield & it’s residents from violence & threats of the TRUMP/MAGA regime.
Unfortunately, as far as I can glean from a quick search, Ohio doesn’t allow for the recall of statewide elected officials. The recall process works for folks like mayors and city council people and sheriffs (even then, local communities are free to ban the recall procedure through their charters). Also, for a sitting US Senator, the US Constitution takes priority over ANY city or state law (bear in mind that a number of states have tried passing term limit laws to apply to members of Congress, only for the courts to reject the efforts as only Congress–through the amendment process–has the power to enact term limits on its members) so, as the Constitution makes NO provision for citizen recall (and, let’s not forget that it’s only been a little over a century that the *people* began directly electing members of the Senate–done via Constitutional amendment). Vance would have to resign from office or die in office before he can be replaced.