Former President Donald Trump had many strong vice presidential options available to him. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) could have helped him among Hispanic voters. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) could have helped him with suburban women. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley could have helped him solidify establishment Republicans. And Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) could have expanded the map, adding Virginia, where recent polls have Biden and Trump tied, to a growing list of possible pickups for the Republican Party.

But Trump chose a different path. Instead of trying to incrementally increase his odds of victory this year, he opted to underscore the direction that he will take the Republican Party in the next four years, and influence the course it will be on for a generation. The selection of Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) doubles down on the ticket’s appeal to blue-collar workers. Trump has an instinctive grasp of core elements in an agenda to Make America Great Again. Vance’s vision, while being well aligned with Trump’s, is also more detailed in terms of ideology and policy details. Trump chose a running mate not to achieve some sort of ideal balance but to gain a genuine lieutenant in the movement the former president has created.