Trump picks Pence as VP

[Belsnickel]

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/287737-trump-picks-pence-as-vp

Quote:Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is Donald Trump's vice presidential pick, according to multiple media outlets.

Trump campaign aides on Twitter said the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has yet to make a decision, but separate media reports said the conservative governor has emerged as Trump's pick.

Pence had been on a final shortlist for the spot along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, according to Trump. He was also the overwhelming favorite of GOP lawmakers on the Hill.

Roll Call first reported that Pence was Trump's pick, citing a source with direct knowledge of the decision.

CBS's Major Garrett also reported that Pence is getting the nod from Trump, while the Indianapolis Star confirmed the news a bit later.

In picking Pence, Trump is selecting a candidate who could help his own conservative bona fides with the GOP base.

Pence is a former House GOP leader who served in the chamber from 2001 to 2013.

He would fit Trump's need for someone who could work with Congress from the executive branch, and he would also do much to shore up Trump's relationships with social conservatives and GOP officials.

“What he needs is someone who is credible who can help him govern if he is successful,” Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) told The Hill earlier this week. “There’s nobody with more interesting ideas in Washington than Newt Gingrich, but that’s a different issue than actually governing day-to-day. I don’t see that as his strong suit."

Minutes before the Pence news broke, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) offered praise for his former House colleague, though he said he had no idea whom Trump would choose.

"It's no secret. I'm a big fan of Mike Pence's. We're very good friends. I have very high regard for him," Ryan told reporters at his weekly news briefing. "I hope that he picks a good movement conservative. Clearly Mike is one of those."

Trump's campaign has been seeking to build toward a Friday announcement, and they downplayed reports that Trump had selected Pence.

[*Nately120*]

Crap, I was hoping he'd team up with the Hulkster.

[fredtoast]

Trump didn't want anyone with star power on the ticket. Pence has been pretty successful in his political career and is a lot more conservative in many areas than Trump.

[*bfine32*]

I think they had to decide a little earlier than they wanted because Pence also wanted to run for re-election and he cannot do both.

[Belsnickel]

(07-14-2016, 02:50 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I think they had to decide a little earlier than they wanted because Pence also wanted to run for re-election and he cannot do both.

That would make sense.

I also should note that this is not official. This is just the word on street, as it were.

[BmorePat87]

A safe pick in terms of appeasing Republicans. He has experience in the House and as a Governor. He doesn't like gay people, compared Obamacare to 9/11, and tried to shutdown the government over planned parenthood.

And fortunately for Pence, this means he can give up that reelection bid in which he has a 47% approval rating.

I guess strategy wise, Trump is hoping he will get conservatives on board. He doesn't need him for Indiana, that went GOP in 9 of the last 10 (went for Obama in '08). He's a good pick in that sense, but he represents the half of the party that refuses to change in the fact of a changing US populace. Not a good pick for Republicans who don't care about starting fights over things like allowing businesses to refuse to serve gay people.

[fredtoast]

(07-14-2016, 02:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote:  Pence has been pretty successful in his political career and is a lot more conservative in many areas than Trump.

(07-14-2016, 02:52 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: A safe pick in terms of appeasing Republicans. . . . He doesn't like gay people, compared Obamacare to 9/11, and tried to shutdown the government over planned parenthood.

Yup.

[BengalHawk62]

Dammit!  Whatever happened to Jesse Ventura as his Veep pick?  I was really hoping to see a Trump/Ventura ticket this fall.  That would have been comedic gold right there.  

[*bfine32*]

(07-14-2016, 03:03 PM)BengalHawk62 Wrote: Dammit!  Whatever happened to Jesse Ventura as his Veep pick?  I was really hoping to see a Trump/Ventura ticket this fall.  That would have been comedic gold right there.  

Ventura is a Libertarian. He could have been their VP as I think the Party, not the candidate picks VP, just as the Party not the people pick Candidate. 

[JustWinBaby]

Didn't really like the other options he was considering.

Ultimately I think this pick does very little to help Trump, which is probably a good thing.

[Donnyho]

The local reactions here in Indy (that I've seen) range from "Well, ok, I guess" to "Thank God! He's gone". No one seems to be overly excited about it.

[Belsnickel]

(07-14-2016, 03:19 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Didn't really like the other options he was considering.

Ultimately I think this pick does very little to help Trump, which is probably a good thing.

I think you're right on with this. The more moderate side of the GOP is what Trump is pushing away to Hillary, and they aren't going to be swayed by this pick. Those that were jumping the GOP ship to go Johnson won't be swayed by this either.

[Benton]

(07-14-2016, 03:19 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Didn't really like the other options he was considering.

Ultimately I think this pick does very little to help Trump, which is probably a good thing.

Agreed.

I think Pence is going to appeal to more of the people he's already got supporting him. And Indy isn't a large enough market to count on those who just vote for "local" candidates in national elections.

[JustWinBaby]

The scary thing with Trump is he probably has more room to go up than Hillary. If he softens his rhetoric in the Presidential debates, he can probably make a significant move.

The other scary thing is it struck me in the 2012 debates, particularly the VP debates, that voters seem to respond to the bigger bully. And in the Repub debates Trump seemed to take that to another level, with success, making it less about policy and more personal.

[Beaker]

I was leaning Trump in a lesser of two evils vote. But now, with both denying climate change and Pence anti-evolution my vote will be cast Libertarian.

[*bfine32*]

Thread seems pretty one sided against Pence, but there are some things Pence is in favor of that I would find the left would have to concede is not terrible:

Immigration:

Mexican-Although he is for stricter borders he is in favor of a "guest worker" program. It is sort of like a poor man's H1b visa program. He is also about strict regulations against hiring illegals. I know many here have blamed the employer.

Muslim- He opposed Trump's idea to ban Muslim immigration and called it unconstitutional

Education: Has consistently voted to increase funds to help those in lower income areas in fundamental education, but is opposed to the same funding for higher education (the point at which many here have said it is too late)

Government: Has voted no on bills that increase Congress salaries and is opposed to special interest donations to political candidates

Employment: Voted to increase unemployment benefits by 20 weeks. Rated 100% by CEI, indicating a pro-workplace choice voting record.

Taxes: Replace income tax with increased sales tax

[BmorePat87]

(07-16-2016, 12:37 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Education: Has consistently voted to increase funds to help those in lower income areas in fundamental education, but is opposed to the same funding for higher education (the point at which many here have said it is too late)

He also, after spending a large amount of time seeking $80 million in preschool funding from the federal government, suddenly rejected the funds after pressure from the right. He said he didn't want it to come "with strings attached" but was never able to explain what those strings may be. 

After public polling showed huge support in his state for preschool funding, and with his approval ratings looking dim for his reelection bid, he said a month ago that he would be open to now seeking those funds.

I guess it's only worth funding education when it helps his political career. 

[BmorePat87]

I was reading up on Pence's unsuccessful run in 1990. He tried to attack the incumbent as being in the pocket of those who funded his campaign, but it was then revealed that Pence was using campaign donations to pay for his house, his credit card, his groceries, and his wife's car. Back then, that was legal, but it wasn't viewed as honest or wholesome, the image he tried to portray.

After that, he worked to change his image and vowed to not go negative again. Totally different public persona since then.

[BmorePat87]

Dana Bash is reporting that Trump, as of last night, was second guessing the Pence pick. Rumor is the leak from his campaign on Thursday regarding the pick may have been done to sway Trump into picking Pence.

All speculation based off of anonymous campaign sources.

Apparently 30 minutes into his speech today, Trump still hadn't introduced Pence and was talking about his hotel in DC, had mentioned Brexit, and was mentioning Clinton's emails.

The man knows how to work the media.

[GMDino]

(07-16-2016, 01:30 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Dana Bash is reporting that Trump, as of last night, was second guessing the Pence pick. Rumor is the leak from his campaign on Thursday regarding the pick may have been done to sway Trump into picking Pence.

All speculation based off of anonymous campaign sources.

Apparently 30 minutes into his speech today, Trump still hadn't introduced Pence and was talking about his hotel in DC, had mentioned Brexit, and was mentioning Clinton's emails.

The man knows how to work the media.

I watched up and until Pence mentioned Trump for the 10th time in the first five minutes.

The entire thing was comedy gold.

His supporters are rabid...his detractors are just laughing.

One takeaway I got though is that Pence is shorter than Trump.  Probably done on purpose for the photo-ops.

Also is plan to allow church officials to speak without "fear" (of losing their tax exempt status) is hilarious.

And Trump had a prepared speech but ran away from it countless times to talk about himself and how wonderful he is.  If he has a speechwriter they can't be paying that person enough.