Sep 29, 2026 · 25 min · 15 segments
GET A FREE DIGITAL COPY OF MY BOOK, Compact of the Republic: http://libertyvault.net Follow me on Twitter/X: https://tinyurl.com/LibertyVault Original video: https://youtu.be/39hqY3nH5ug…
David BennerHostNick, you've talked extensively about J.D. Vance and his connections to some of the people Zhang just mentioned.
Um...
I think JD Vance is first and foremost a product of the meritocracy, just like me.
I did read his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, and I read it before he became politically prominent.
And I read it, and I'm like, this is very similar to Barack Obama's book, Dreams of My Father.
I read both.
And I read Hillbilly Elegy, and it seems almost he's manufacturing himself in a way that... to have a political career.
And so I made a prediction when I read the book that this guy probably wants to be the next Barack Obama and he'll probably be president of the United States one day.
If you read the book, first of all, it's really well-written.
I'm not sure if you've read the book, but it's really well-written.
But it's also really...
He seems to be trying to please as many people as possible.
And so I think his issue is that as a part of the meritocracy, his main ambition in life is to please others.
So whoever is in proximity to him, He will just try to please.
And what did he do? Well, the first thing he did was he appointed to resolve the financial crisis people like Tim Geithner, Larry Summers, the same people who caused the financial crisis in the first place.
Yeah,

Bill Clinton ran as a protector of the middle class against this corrupt regime in Washington, D.C.

It wasn't as kind of brazen in the language, but there was kind of a populist... point of Clinton's presidency.
Nick, you've talked extensively about J.D. Vance and his connections to some of the people Zhang just mentioned.
Um...
I think JD Vance is first and foremost a product of the meritocracy, just like me.
I did read his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, and I read it before he became politically prominent.
And I read it, and I'm like, this is very similar to Barack Obama's book, Dreams of My Father.
I read both.
And I read Hillbilly Elegy, and it seems almost he's manufacturing himself in a way that... to have a political career.
And so I made a prediction when I read the book that this guy probably wants to be the next Barack Obama and he'll probably be president of the United States one day.
If you read the book, first of all, it's really well-written.
I'm not sure if you've read the book, but it's really well-written.
But it's also really...
He seems to be trying to please as many people as possible.
And so I think his issue is that as a part of the meritocracy, his main ambition in life is to please others.
So whoever is in proximity to him, He will just try to please.
And what did he do? Well, the first thing he did was he appointed to resolve the financial crisis people like Tim Geithner, Larry Summers, the same people who caused the financial crisis in the first place.
Yeah,

Bill Clinton ran as a protector of the middle class against this corrupt regime in Washington, D.C.

It wasn't as kind of brazen in the language, but there was kind of a populist... point of Clinton's presidency.
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