J.D. Vance makes Midwest-centric, generational pitch: From the Politics Desk

WELCOME TO OUR SPECIAL EDITION From the Political Deskis an evening newsletter bringing you the latest coverage and analysis from the election campaign, the White House and Congress from the NBC News political team.

Tonight, Henry J. Gomez and Matt Dixon report from the convention floor as J.D. Vance introduces himself to a national audience in his VP acceptance speech, plus Chief Political Analyst Chuck Todd examines whether the convention can help Republicans retake Wisconsin.

To receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday, sign up here.

Vance calls for ‘big tent’ Republican Party in VP acceptance speech

Henry J. Gomez and Matt Dixon

MILWAUKEE — Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, a right-wing populist known for his staunch opinions, presented himself Wednesday as a vice presidential candidate open to compromise and eager for unity but unashamedly drawn to heated debate.

“We have a big tent within our party on every issue, from national security to economic policy,” Vance, who accepted Donald Trump’s nomination as his vice presidential running mate, told delegates at the Republican National Convention. “But my message to Republicans is that we love this country and we’re united to win. And our differences actually make us stronger.”

Vance, 39, defended himself in generational terms — at one point recalling that he was only in fourth grade when then-Senator Joe Biden voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement, a deal that would disillusion many working-class voters — and defended Trump by portraying him as a tenacious man who has persevered despite criminal charges and, more recently, an assassination attempt that left him with an injured right ear.

“They denounced him as a tyrant,” Vance said of Trump. “They denounced him as a tyrant. They said he must be stopped at all costs. But how did he respond? In the moments after an assassin had literally taken his life, he called for national unity and national peace. He remembered the victims of that horrific attack, especially the brave Corey Comperatore, who gave his life to protect his family. … President Trump then flew to Milwaukee and got back to work.”

Most notably, Vance has vowed to spearhead efforts in the industrial heartlands of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, three states he has repeatedly mentioned, that Republicans are trying to seize from Biden and the Democrats this fall.

“This moment isn’t about me,” Vance said. “This is about autoworkers in Michigan wondering why naive politicians are destroying their jobs. This is about factory workers in Wisconsin who make things with their hands and take pride in American craftsmanship. This is about energy workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio who can’t understand why Joe Biden is willing to buy energy from petty dictators around the world when he can buy it from his own people right here at home.”

Continue reading about Henry and Matt →

More from the Republican Convention:

NBC News’ Matt Dixon and Vaughn Hilliard report that for many attendees, Trump’s call to “unite” after the assassination attempt meant one big thing: rallying around him to defeat Biden. Continue reading →

President Trump’s White House trade adviser Peter Navarro was greeted with cheers at tonight’s party convention just hours after being released from a federal prison in Miami, reports NBC News’ Alan Smith. Navarro was found guilty of contempt of Congress for ignoring a subpoena from a House committee on January 6. Continue reading →

Will this convention help Republicans win Wisconsin?

Chuck Todd

MILWAUKEE — As Republicans grow more confident about their chances of not only winning the White House but also taking control of both houses of Congress, they shouldn’t forget why they chose Milwaukee to host their convention in the first place.

No matter how well Trump performs in the Sun Belt battleground states (Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina), he will need to win one of three key Northern battleground states (Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) to secure the 270 electoral votes.

And it’s that necessity that made Milwaukee an attractive location for a Republican convention. Now, let’s be real for a second. There isn’t a lot of data to support the idea that a convention city can singlehandedly sway a state. Parties often choose convention cities for reasons other than Electoral College politics. Chicago hosts many conventions simply because it’s central. New York and Philadelphia host many conventions because they’re central to the political classes of both Washington/DC and NYC.

In the last four Republican presidential elections, the Republican candidate has won a convention state just twice: Trump won Ohio in 2016 (in Cleveland), while George W. Bush lost both Pennsylvania and New York after conventions in Philadelphia and New York City. His father was elected president in 1988 in a landslide electoral victory that included Louisiana after holding a convention in New Orleans.

Democrats have had a slightly better record, winning convention states four of the last five times they’ve won the White House (including 2020 and the virtual convention originally scheduled for Milwaukee). Bill Clinton won both convention states (New York in 1992 and Illinois in 1996). Barack Obama won Colorado in 2008 but lost North Carolina in 2012. And Biden narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020.

The question remains: Will the convention help Republicans win Wisconsin?

Here’s the truth: Republicans need a little help to win in Wisconsin. Of the three northern battleground states, Wisconsin is the one where Republicans seem the least confident and most struggling.

Continue reading Chuck →

That’s all from the Politics Desk. If you have any comments, please email us here. politicsnewsletters@nbcuni.com

If you are a fan, please share it with everyone. here.