Posted on 07/17/2024 3:27:58 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
At the outset of Christopher Marlowe’s late 16th-century play “The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus,” the scholar at the center of the tale abandons all the learning he has mastered. Law, philosophy, medicine — none of these have fulfilled his boundless ambition. Instead, he turns to magic, making the fateful decision to sell his soul to the demon Mephistopheles, for what he “most desires” — “a world of profit and delight, /Of power, of honor.”
That brand of striving, so strong that it compels Faustus to sell what is most essential to him, must lie somewhere in the makeup of Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, who on Monday was offered and accepted the invitation to be Donald Trump’s running mate. What he has renounced in the process is in the public record for all to see.
Eight years ago, during the heated days of the 2016 Republican primary, Mr. Vance wrote that Mr. Trump’s policy proposals “range from immoral to absurd.” A few months later, he referred to Mr. Trump as “cultural heroin,” and called him “unfit for our nation’s highest office.” And memorably, in a text conversation with a former roommate, the future senator worried that Mr. Trump might be “America’s Hitler.”
After Monday’s announcement, of course, Mr. Vance distanced himself from those comments. Mr. Trump’s White House tenure, he said, had changed his mind, but it’s hard to take the senator entirely at his word.
Certainly, all politicians are ambitious — and many of them are cynical. But there is something particularly noxious about Mr. Vance’s posturing, which exceeds the run-of-the-mill Machiavellian self-interestedness that characterizes politics. The Faustian contract seems to have already been drawn up and signed.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
LOL...If “selling his soul” is bad news, just wait until those heinous high school stunts, USMC wild liberties, and callous misuse of pronouns are made public...
The fact that you hate him makes us love him all the more. Keep writing op eds. lololol!!!
Yes and the point I’m making is they are even distorting his original private comment.
He said he could be useful also, but they don’t trumpet that part of his comment.
Another Main Stream Media that no one believes anymore.
They’ll all be gone soon enough.
I’d rather watch Vance’s talks, presentations, and speeches and make up my own mind.
The newspaper model was broken long ago. The NY Times as a news source has crapped the bed too many times to be useful for much more than fish wrap.
You mean Chou Buy Dung. It’s his name where his family banks.
Yes!!! Please keep it up NY Times....you ARE such a great influencer!!!
Selling his soul? The first sleazy image that formed in my mind was one of chuckie Schumer. Of course the whole dem party is full of used cars salesmen.
This writer is so short on self-awareness that I can only attempt humor. Here goes....
Good, thoughtful analysis NYT. Looks like another Pulitzer to me.
I’m sure J.D. Vance was counting on a lot of support from NYT readers, who now will recognize his shortcomings.
What was the Trump campaign thinking— not clearing their selection with the NYT?
I thought it interesting how in this quote the media missed the part about Nixon. That had previously been the evil comparison they had always used.
Harry S Truman was a corporal in Battery B in the Missouri National Guard. When he rejoined Battery B for the Great War he was given the job recruiting new soldiers for the expanded unit. Once it was fully formed he was elected First Lieutenant.
Yes, they used to elect their officers.
“The New York Times” is all I need to see and as far as I got.
Good to know, thanks!
The NY Times sold their soul to the devil many years ago. And I don’t care what they have to say.
I think the Times is useful for lining a birdcage or lining a crate with a new puppy.
But....I would have liked to look up the links they cited to see if Vance did write or say the things their alleging.
There’s a tweet floating around, not sure if it’s authentic, possibly from Vance. Something about immigrants and refugees are his people.
If true, I’m not too confident in anyone with that sentiment. There are and have been way too many politicians that tell people what they want to hear and people fall all over themselves because of a line or two.
Has he changed his mind? Maybe. Could he just be saying the right things to get in the inner circle? Maybe.
Time will tell. If Pres Trump wins and he gives Vance the job of the ‘Mass Deportation’ we’ll know very soon just how MAGA he is. As MAGA wants a steady stream of about 30,000,000 heading south, east and west. The shortest path back to where they came from.
And he was/is some type of venture capitalist, or something. Another line of work, like lawyer-former staffer-government employee, that I’m not a fan of when it comes to voting for someone that is supposed to represent the people
Says the demons
I’m sure Vance was counting on the Central Park crowd for support before this. He must be devastated.
LoL And people will follow and support Donald Trump’s nominee no matter what.
He could be to the left of Bernie Sanders and they would grumble but still get aboard.
This is until, of course, that Vance falls out of favor with Trump, such as disobedience or outshining him, which is a more likely possibility than not after a few years and looking at Trump’s retention rate (of endorsements) of his former top officials (I believe about a phenomenal 10% rate). Were I Vance I would stay clear of any rope.
Unfortunately about 90% of journalists don’t have the emotional maturity for the job. Everything and everyone upsets them.
That's what I do.
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