He is not only too late, he is MUCH too late. That ship sailed years ago, and honestly, he bears a large measure of responsibility for that fact, given that as the VP, he sat there mutely and legitimized everything that Trump said and did. He has also indicated that despite everything that has happened--including Trump's sending of a homicidal mob after him--that he would not rule out voting for Trump if Trump is the Republican nominee in 2024. So, I take his words with a boulder of salt.
All of THAT being said, and as others have already said, the GOP is now the party of Trump, Gaetz, MTG, Boebert, Jordan, Cruz, Tuberville, DeSantis, etc.--a bunch of performative clowns who stand for nothing and contribute even less to the welfare of the country.
You've written before that Pence's campaign is better understood as a reputation reclamation project than a bid for the presidency, and that he has to know he can't win. Likening him to Quixote seems too generous. He knows they're windmills. He helped build the windmills. This is all theater.
As a professional journalist and political analyst I can understand your fascination with Pence.
As a Hoosier well acquainted with the "leading from behind" former Governor and soon to be not-reelected in 2016, there is "no there there" with Mannequin Mike.
He proved over four years of a fawning sycophantic Vice Presidency to not have any relevancy on any topic or level.
Pence is too late, way too late. I see it as trying to rehabilitate himself and his legacy. IMO, he should never accepted the VP position, he is nowhere near Trump in philosophy, and to take the position just to go further politically was suicide for his career. He was not a well like Governor and knew it. However, he did accept it and became the nominee as 2nd fiddle. To sit mutely next to Trump and now say he is proud of the Trump/Pence administration. He would back Trump again if Trump is the nominee? Spare me. He sunk himself and has to live with it,
Or - hear me out - 1) he thinks the party’s headed for disaster and 2) thinks he can position himself to be the guy around which the party can rebuild.
If true, then on #2, I think it’s a hard “no,” but I’m curious if maybe he’s on to something with #1
A hopeful scenario is for Pence to keep it up and step up the direct criticism of Trump, and for Christie and Hutchinson to keep it up, and for Haley to up her game, and finally, for it all to begin having an effect on Trump’s polling. At that point, other candidates would gingerly get on board with the criticism and we would see Trump fade. One can hope.
Originally the party was formed of abolitionists, former Whigs and former Know-Nothings. The abolitionists were the progressive wing, departed with the last of the Nelson Rockefeller Republicans 45 years ago. The Whigs were the business wing, which now finds itself under attack and on the way out, by the Know-Nothing wing, which is rapidly the modern survivor of the original coalition. The Know-Nothings were working against the other two from the beginning back in 1854.
Smart piece, Chris. I know many people dismiss Pence, Christie ,and others who enabled Trump and belatedly call him out for the fraud and know-nothing he is. I applaud conversions whenever they come. People like Pence and Christie may not influence enough people to win themselves, but each R who speaks out may be able to influence a few to reject Trump and eventually restore sanity. In other words, it is now evident that there will be no one event that breaks the Trump reign , but perhaps a series of defections along the way can do the trick. One can only hope so because we can never govern this country effectively with the cabal of clowns who now dominate the GOP.
The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855; thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". Members of the movement were required to say "I know nothing" whenever they were asked about its specifics by outsiders, providing the group with its colloquial name.
Supporters of the Know Nothing movement believed that an alleged "Romanist" conspiracy to subvert civil and religious liberty in the United States was being hatched by Catholics. Therefore, they sought to politically organize native-born Protestants in defense of their traditional religious and political values. The Know Nothing movement is remembered for this theme because Protestants feared that Catholic priests and bishops would control a large bloc of voters.
The Know Nothings supplemented their xenophobic views with populist appeals."
Spot on as usual CC. ask Sarah longwell who’s conducted hundreds of GOP focus groups and she’ll say the thing she hears most is some variation of “we republicans aren’t going back to pre2015 and any candidate who advocates that, or who’s from that era, is DOA”. PS: a live video with Sarah would be a great subscriber perk!
I agree that Pence, himself, is going nowhere. However, his speaking out now does serve a purpose, I believe. The more voices that speak against Trump, the more enough Republicans might start to listen and break from Trump. Add Pence to Christie, Hutchinson, and lately Haley and they keep it up for months, it could start to add up to critical mass against Trump. It remains to be seen; the race won't be static forever.
To call “Bush Cheney neocons” out as “spineless” when you have SO many rudderless-on-policy Republicans now, like Trump, MTG, Boebert, etc., is a bit rich, don’t you think? I doubt that anyone that’s a Trump Cult Member could even tell you WHAT a “neocon” IS, much less voice that they were “tired of them”.
Sorry, “Yuri”, or whomever you ACTUALLY are, you’re completely offbase.
I didn’t realize I was responding to “Yuri” until I was about to hit “Send”. Hence the comment “or whatever your name actually is”. I’ll try to stay more aware of the source the next time a stupid comment sets me off!
He is not only too late, he is MUCH too late. That ship sailed years ago, and honestly, he bears a large measure of responsibility for that fact, given that as the VP, he sat there mutely and legitimized everything that Trump said and did. He has also indicated that despite everything that has happened--including Trump's sending of a homicidal mob after him--that he would not rule out voting for Trump if Trump is the Republican nominee in 2024. So, I take his words with a boulder of salt.
All of THAT being said, and as others have already said, the GOP is now the party of Trump, Gaetz, MTG, Boebert, Jordan, Cruz, Tuberville, DeSantis, etc.--a bunch of performative clowns who stand for nothing and contribute even less to the welfare of the country.
Chris,
You've written before that Pence's campaign is better understood as a reputation reclamation project than a bid for the presidency, and that he has to know he can't win. Likening him to Quixote seems too generous. He knows they're windmills. He helped build the windmills. This is all theater.
Paul Ryan - presidential nominee? I think Mitt Romney may take offense to that.
Wasnt Paul Ryan the vice presidential nominee?
Chris,
As a professional journalist and political analyst I can understand your fascination with Pence.
As a Hoosier well acquainted with the "leading from behind" former Governor and soon to be not-reelected in 2016, there is "no there there" with Mannequin Mike.
He proved over four years of a fawning sycophantic Vice Presidency to not have any relevancy on any topic or level.
Pence is too late, way too late. I see it as trying to rehabilitate himself and his legacy. IMO, he should never accepted the VP position, he is nowhere near Trump in philosophy, and to take the position just to go further politically was suicide for his career. He was not a well like Governor and knew it. However, he did accept it and became the nominee as 2nd fiddle. To sit mutely next to Trump and now say he is proud of the Trump/Pence administration. He would back Trump again if Trump is the nominee? Spare me. He sunk himself and has to live with it,
Or - hear me out - 1) he thinks the party’s headed for disaster and 2) thinks he can position himself to be the guy around which the party can rebuild.
If true, then on #2, I think it’s a hard “no,” but I’m curious if maybe he’s on to something with #1
A hopeful scenario is for Pence to keep it up and step up the direct criticism of Trump, and for Christie and Hutchinson to keep it up, and for Haley to up her game, and finally, for it all to begin having an effect on Trump’s polling. At that point, other candidates would gingerly get on board with the criticism and we would see Trump fade. One can hope.
Don't hold your breath for that; turning blue before dying is not a pretty sight.
The GOP has now become the new KnowNothing Party. The current GOP is largely protestant, nativist and xenophobic, prone to conspiracy mentality.
Originally the party was formed of abolitionists, former Whigs and former Know-Nothings. The abolitionists were the progressive wing, departed with the last of the Nelson Rockefeller Republicans 45 years ago. The Whigs were the business wing, which now finds itself under attack and on the way out, by the Know-Nothing wing, which is rapidly the modern survivor of the original coalition. The Know-Nothings were working against the other two from the beginning back in 1854.
For sure - The Grand Old Party doesn't want saving.
Smart piece, Chris. I know many people dismiss Pence, Christie ,and others who enabled Trump and belatedly call him out for the fraud and know-nothing he is. I applaud conversions whenever they come. People like Pence and Christie may not influence enough people to win themselves, but each R who speaks out may be able to influence a few to reject Trump and eventually restore sanity. In other words, it is now evident that there will be no one event that breaks the Trump reign , but perhaps a series of defections along the way can do the trick. One can only hope so because we can never govern this country effectively with the cabal of clowns who now dominate the GOP.
Fine piece, though that's the first time I've ever heard Don Quixote referred to as "Don," which translates roughly as "Mr."
Should have been "the Don" - "Don" is higher than "Mr." - it's "the guy in charge" of whatever.
Quote:
The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855; thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". Members of the movement were required to say "I know nothing" whenever they were asked about its specifics by outsiders, providing the group with its colloquial name.
Supporters of the Know Nothing movement believed that an alleged "Romanist" conspiracy to subvert civil and religious liberty in the United States was being hatched by Catholics. Therefore, they sought to politically organize native-born Protestants in defense of their traditional religious and political values. The Know Nothing movement is remembered for this theme because Protestants feared that Catholic priests and bishops would control a large bloc of voters.
The Know Nothings supplemented their xenophobic views with populist appeals."
Endquote
Xenophobic, i.e. anti-immigrant
Largely protestant, now evangelical
Conspiracy mentality
This is the modern Republican Party
Spot on as usual CC. ask Sarah longwell who’s conducted hundreds of GOP focus groups and she’ll say the thing she hears most is some variation of “we republicans aren’t going back to pre2015 and any candidate who advocates that, or who’s from that era, is DOA”. PS: a live video with Sarah would be a great subscriber perk!
I agree that Pence, himself, is going nowhere. However, his speaking out now does serve a purpose, I believe. The more voices that speak against Trump, the more enough Republicans might start to listen and break from Trump. Add Pence to Christie, Hutchinson, and lately Haley and they keep it up for months, it could start to add up to critical mass against Trump. It remains to be seen; the race won't be static forever.
Have you considered that Americans are sick of spineless Bush Cheney style neocon warmongers?
To call “Bush Cheney neocons” out as “spineless” when you have SO many rudderless-on-policy Republicans now, like Trump, MTG, Boebert, etc., is a bit rich, don’t you think? I doubt that anyone that’s a Trump Cult Member could even tell you WHAT a “neocon” IS, much less voice that they were “tired of them”.
Sorry, “Yuri”, or whomever you ACTUALLY are, you’re completely offbase.
Don't feed the troll
I didn’t realize I was responding to “Yuri” until I was about to hit “Send”. Hence the comment “or whatever your name actually is”. I’ll try to stay more aware of the source the next time a stupid comment sets me off!