J.D. Vance opened the second day of the National Conservatism conference. Author of the New York Times bestseller Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (Netflix recently bought the film rights for $45 million), which details his childhood with his Appalachian family and growing up in Ohio, Vance has gained the reputation of being a man who truly understands the working class that came out for Trump in 2016, and he is a rising star in conservative circles.
He is also calling on the Right to abandon libertarianism and to begin using policy and political power to actually effect good ends. In the hallway outside the Ritz-Carlton Ballroom, I picked up a copy of The American Conservative containing a copy of Vance’s recent speech “Towards a pro-worker, pro-family conservatism.” It is a compelling read.
