Modern Republican Populism
By 
JD Vance is a truly beloved human:
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance was booed Thursday at an International Association of Firefighters conference in Boston after he said he and former President Donald Trump are the most “pro-workers Republican ticket in history.”
The Ohio senator spoke at the convention the day after Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, who received a warm welcome from the union. A blend of applause and boos could also be heard under Merle Haggard’s song “America First” as Vance took the stage. When he approached the podium, he smiled and addressed the crowd’s mixed reaction.
“Sounds like we’ve got some fans and some haters. That’s okay,” he said. “Listen to what I have to say here, and I’ll make my pitch.”
…
“I want to talk about why we’re fighting for working people, why we’re going to fight for unions and non-unions alike,” Vance said, pointing to the crowd while some booed in reply.
After speaking for more than 20 minutes, Vance thanked the crowd and received another mix of cheers and boos as he exited the stage.
The idea that the IAFF is some far-right union seems to be stuck in the minds of a lot of people but that really isn’t the case. There are plenty of Republicans in the firefighters’ union, sure. There are also a whole lot of people who know that Republicans hate workers and unions and will stop at nothing to destroy them. JD Vance seems unaware of the nuance, because he is a very stupid man. But the more he gets booed when talking to and about workers, the better.