An old Ottoman Turkish political term still survives among intellectual circles in Türkiye: "kaht-ı rical," a shortage of capable statesmen. It is not a shortage of offices or institutions. The shortage is of people who can lead and leave a lasting mark.
Many years ago in Washington, D.C., this old term unexpectedly came to my mind, at a time when it was becoming difficult to ignore that both Democrats and Republicans were searching for a new generation of leaders, a subject then increasingly discussed not only across Washington's influential think tanks and policy circles but also in the media.
The American political system produces governors, senators, Cabinet members and policy experts. Every election brings new names into public life. Yet when discussions turn to the next generation of national leaders, the list often becomes much shorter than many people expect.
We can now start talking about Vice President JD Vance more.
His story is already familiar to many Americans. He grew up in difficult circumstances in Ohio, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, one of America's most respected military institutions, graduated from Yale Law School and became nationally known through his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. What made his path unusual was the order of events. His book made him famous before he entered politics.
