Cross-Posted From DanCirucci.com
If you stop for a moment to ponder the surprising similarities between Barack Obama and J. D. Vance, you will begin to understand why politics remains so endless fascinating.
Though one is as far to the right politically as the other is to the left, and the steepness of the hill each had to climb can be debated, consider the following:
- Obama and Vance (born James Donald Bowman) are both born under the zodiac sign of Leo, considered the sign of natural born leaders. Vance’s birth date is August 2 while Obama’s is August 4. Leos are said to be passionate, loyal, and dramatic. They are also known for being energetic, gregarious, and confident.
- Both Obama and Vance had fractured, unstable upbringings. Obama’s parents divorced when he was just three years old. Likewise, Vance’s parents divorced when he was just a toddler.
- Both men barely knew their fathers and both fathers (Donald Bowman and Barack Obama Sr.) walked out on their families.
- Growing up, both Obama and Vance struggled with their difficult socio-economic situations. Vance grew up dirt poor Appalachian Ohio. Obama, the product of a Black Kenyan father and white Kansas mother struggled with his multi racial heritage as his mother hopscotched from state to state and nation to nation.
- The grandparents of both Obama and Vance played a leading role in each man’s upbringing. Obama was exceptionally close to his white grandparents and lived with them in Hawaii during his high school years. Vance credits his grandparents, who he called “Mamaw and Papaw” with essentially raising him.
- Both men changed their names as Obama took his stepfather’s name and referred to himself as Barry Soetero and J. D. took his stepfather’s name and became known as James David Hamel. Eventually, Obama re-embraced his original name (Barack Hussein Obama) while James David took his grandparent’s surname and became J. D. Vance.
- Both Obama and Vance searched for spiritual and religious meaning in their lives with Obama extolling the Islam call to prayer and eventually joining a controversial Chicago Christian church and Vance converting to Catholicism based in part on his extensive study of Saint Augustine.
- Both men overcame great odds to be admitted to Ivy League law schools and both met their wives in law school and both wives are accomplished lawyers in their own right.
- Both came to prominence with compelling, best-selling memoirs: Vance with Hillbilly Elegy and Obama with Dreams From My Father.
- Both emerged from midwest states to serve just two years in the U. S. Senate before leap-frogging onto a national ticket with Obama assuming the top spot while Vance will seek to be Donald Trump’s Vice President.
- Both are considered whip-smart, articulate, great debaters and shrewd political operatives.
Yes, there are many differences between these two men but that does not negate these similarities. And think about this: in America, in just one lifetime people can surmount huge obstacles and reach the very highest level of accomplishment. And though they may have similar journeys, they can, of their own free will come to entirely different conclusions, ideologies and political philosophies.
All of this is possible because of the freedom we enjoy. God bless America!
