Mike Pence: GOP Hero or Enemy?
Few Presidential elections have been more about a Vice-Presidential candidate than a Presidential candidate. However, the choices made by Republican Vice-President nominee, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, will have a significant impact on this election. The decisions he makes could also have a large impact on his chances of becoming the Republican Presidential nominee in 2020. From his actions thus far, it appears that Pence is at least as concerned with the 2020 election as he is with this one.
It is unlikely that either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could win a second term if they win this year. A.B. Stoddard, a writer for RealClear Politics, argues this point in an article in which he writes, “Against the backdrop of a nation reeling from a burgeoning terrorist threat, economic deterioration, and painful racial division, the campaigns of two singularly unpopular presidential candidates have left most Americans feeling emotions ranging from disappointment to despair.” According to Stoddard’s article, both candidates have two major problems that would make them one-term presidents. Firs, Trump and Hillary would be the oldest and second-oldest Presidential-elects in history, respectively. Secondly, they are two of the most hated politicians running for office in history. Because of this, many people are already thinking about the next election.
This is good news for Mike Pence. Pence first emerged as a possible future candidate at the Vice Presidential debate. Three writers from Vox, Doyle McManus, Cathleen Decker, and Mark Z. Barabak explored why in an article titled “We scored the vice presidential debate and Mike Pence won.” They found that his calm demeanor and less abrasive approach made him seem much more attractive to Republican voters. Compared to Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate, he seemed much more professional and focused. On a few subjects, Pence took stances that differed from Trump’s, such as establishing a safe zone in Syria and withdrawing any support of Putin, and this helped as well. Pence’s decision to diverge from Trump’s stances on issues, such as actions to take regarding the Middle East and our relationship with Russia, brought him to the center of attention.
Many people believe that the Vice-Presidential Debate was a clear sign that Pence is more focused on staying true to his values than on backing up Trump. Peter Nicholas from the Wall Street Journal wrote in a blog, “Mr. Pence showed he isn’t necessarily prepared to defend every incendiary utterance coming from Mr. Trump, which some are interpreting as a sign that he wants to preserve his brand in the event he runs for president in 2020 or later.” (WSJ) Jason Hopkins, writing for Townhall, stated that after the VP debate “about one-third of current Trump supporters would rather see Pence at the top of the presidential ticket,” but opinions within the GOP are varied. Some support a Mike Pence 2020 run, and some do not.
The GOP’s partial support of Mike Pence shows not only a lack of faith in Trump, but also a crucial division in the Republican Party. In an article for The Atlantic, Claire Foran wrote, “If nothing else, the fact that Pence is currently being talked about as a potential 2020 contender, not because he defended Trump at the vice-presidential debate, but because he distanced himself from his running mate, highlights the GOP’s struggle to identify what it stands for and what kind of party it wants to be.” Part of the GOP is supporting Trump, a controversial, bold, and, before this campaign, politically inexperienced candidate, and part of the GOP is against Trump, refusing to endorse him and sometimes publicly denouncing his words and actions. As the election has progressed, some members of the GOP have even taken back their endorsements of Trump, such as Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and previous Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. This division is seriously hurting the GOP’s chance at the White House. The Republican party can be unified behind their current candidate, or divided between the two politicians on the ticket. The question they have to ask themselves is: should Mike Pence and the GOP sacrifice unity in this election to preserve his chances for the 2020 election?
In a poll taken of middle aged to elderly registered voters, there was a nearly unanimous view that Pence should be more focused on staying behind Trump and uniting with him. Some people shared concerns that by publicly disagreeing with Trump on a national stage, Pence was further dividing and hurting the GOP. One woman interviewed said, “Yeah, you’re running with him. You should be on the same page. You shouldn’t be against each other any which way.” While some acknowledged that Pence also has a loyalty to the values of the Republican party, in the end everyone believed that Pence needed to support Trump.
Some GOP officials would argue that Mike Pence is hardly a better candidate than Donald Trump. Before this election, Pence has not been much more appealing than Trump, supporting things such as anti-LGBT bills and the repeal of Roe vs Wade. “Author claims Pence is not likely to expand the Republican party’s appeal if he runs, due to his previous record of restrictive abortion laws and signing a religious freedom law that people think will enable discrimination against LGBT people.” (Foran) Disregarding other policies that he may support, Pence has already misaligned himself with women, LGBT, and other large communities. “Mike Pence first rose to the national stage during a crisis that pundits said had “exploded”, “plummeted” and “crumbled” his chances of representing the GOP in the next presidential election.” A big worry of Republicans is that Pence will do well in the Republican Primaries, where his views are shared, but get defeated on the national stage.
The division of the GOP from this election is deeper than it has been in decades. In the midst of a choice of whether or not to support their party candidate, Republicans must also consider what they want from their Vice-Presidential nominee. Should Mike Pence disregard his own values in order to stand behind Trump and potentially help him to the White House, or should Pence continue to diverge from Trump’s views and preserve his chances at a 2020 presidential run? People seem to support the former already, but whether Pence will follow that decision remains to be seen.
