If you’re reaction to the headline was “WHAT?” I get it. Look, I’ve said plenty of time Pence never had a chance of becoming President and even being the GOP nominee was about as likely as me being recalled (decades after becoming a civilian again) to active duty and named Commandant of my Marine Corps. (Even if Senator Tub-O-Lard wasn’t blocking such things) I still believe that. However, I DO believe that Pence had a chance to mount a credible enough campaign to get what passes as rational Republicans to take stock of where fealty to Trump had led their Party and move on. Sure, there’s have been some turmoil but had Republicans been willing to take their medicine they’d be past the worst of it by now and Pence, who could have led the charge would be elevated to elder statesman status in the GOP.
Far more than he deserves, but if it got his Party and the country past Trump I could live with him getting a favorable nod from the GOP and history.
Pence however has until only recently been running a campaign as subservient to Trump as was his Vice-Presidency. Only recently has he shown signs of doing what we all wondered why he hadn’t started doing starting January 7, 2012. Criticizing Trump for the riot, and forcefully standing up and proclaiming that he in fact did his Constitutional duty in counting the Electoral Votes – and it was those who claimed otherwise, that he had the right to halt the process, substitute slates of fake electoral votes or refuse to count certain state’s votes that were the traitors. Including and especially Trump.
Lately, however there are signs that Pence who was only polling at one or two percent and reduced to begging for small donors to start stepping up in enough numbers to get him onto the debate stage has shown signs of growing a spine. And it doesn’t even take an electron microscope to see it! I don’t know what happened but Pence seemed to have finally decided he’d had enough. Or “Mother” had. Or “Mother relented and let him start doing what he’d maybe wanted to do for a long time and straight out say “I did exactly what I should have done that awful day – ignored the un-Constitutional and frankly illegal advice from Trump and some of his advisors and did exactly what the Constitution and law required me to do.”
He wasn’t quite that forceful as he first started making this point recently so I thought maybe he was just beta testing a way of separating himself from Trump at a time when Trump was having bigger problems like criminal indictments in three jurisdictions with a fourth jurisdiction about to drop the hammer on him. And, more importantly that someone, not necessarily even Trump would say something that would send him running away like a puppy that had been kicked, and walking back his “I did the right thing” attitude.
Lo and behold, he does NOT seem to be walking it back. And when a MAGA stood up at a Q&A and bluntly asked him why he was a “traitor” it was a sight to behold. I suppose it helped that quite a few in the crowd booed the MAGA goober and when that died down one dude stood up and, declaring himself a Veteran and that the MAGA better shut his mouth. But Pence handle the moment in… a Presidential manner. He stood up for the right of people to question him. And then he calmly, and explained cold hard facts about his Oath of Office, what the Constitution requires in plain language be done (emphasizing it says “shall”, not “may”) and that he did his duty. That he honored his Oath.
Check out this linked article and watch for yourself. (Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to embed only the video itself) It’s only a couple of minutes but I couldn’t help but think that if Pence had started talking this way right after Jan. 6 he’d still be way behind Trump but he’d at least be polling a helluva lot higher than he is. Maybe even in second place, albeit still only in the twenties at most (more likely mid to high teens) but a couple of others would also be in that range and Trump’s candidacy wouldn’t be dominating the way it is.
Oh, and there’s another reason for you to go to the linked article because another short video shows additional evidence Pence is growing a spine and will I predict (if he keeps this up) move into the mid to high teens in polling. He also takes on Tucker Carlson!
If Pence truly has turned the page and is going to truly stand up for himself things could get interesting. I still say he never had a chance, but IF he keeps this up he’s going to provide some other (not DeSantis) saner (relative term of course) Republican a shot at dethroning Trump. He doesn’t have and never will get the MAGAs, BUT he can still capture the Evangelicals which have been a highly reliable and much longer term constituency for the GOP than the MAGAs. That will matter in Iowa and New Hampshire, and SC too so while I’m not saying to take Pence’s candidacy seriously (at least as far as winning) but keep an eye out because he could become a key factor in how things play out.
“I don’t know what happened but Pence seemed to have finally decided he’d had enough.”
My theory is, he testified before the grand jury, told the truth, and only then realized the meaning of what he had just said. Then he remembered that since he was already running for president, and none of the other candidates whose names were not Trump were doing very well, he might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.
I still think he looked better with the fly.
It seemed better suited to republican policies.
What happened to the fly? Inquiring minds need to know.
Maybe Pence either by himself, or someone else helped him, pull his finger out of his arse, and in doing so, he ‘had a revelation and saw the light’. Now he’s doing his best to step away from the darkness of his former burdensome yolk.