Perhaps framework was the wrong choice of word. I wouldn't call jQuery a framework, but it certainly would have helped. A library like Rivets.js or similar would have been great to see as well, since at that point there'd be (close to?) 0 manual DOM manipulation required (thus obviating the need for jQuery), and he could still keep the page weight easily under 10k.
But what's the point? These days, there's not a whole lot jQuery does that can't be done easily with vanilla JavaScript. Would you rather hire someone who can write lean code with minimal dependencies or someone who throws in whatever library is getting the most buzz "just because"?
I'd rather hire the guy who writes the most maintainable code. jQuery is hardly a "buzz" library, and in this case, using it certainly wouldn't be "just because". It's been the industry-standard method of non-trivial DOM manipulation for years. If he included Angular or Ember or some other nonsense, then I'd be concerned for the exact reasons you stated.
