I think Vance is trying to position himself to be the Next Guy. That means doing whatever he has to to not be destroyed now, but trying to leave himself the room to shift when it's his turn.

But I'm not sure he can pull it off. He's too stiff. He doesn't have "it" - whatever "it" it is that Trump has.

Trump has a long and impossible to replicate history with American popular culture, I don't see how any career politician can ever beat it solely on being a politician, especially one that has to live in the shadows of the current President. You'll always be number 2.

Obama is now equally as famous IMO but he got there through his career. Not because of it.