Republican Nominee for President Donald Trump has officially chosen Indiana Governor Mike Pence to be his running mate in the 2016 Presidential election. This comes after weeks of speculation as to what kind of ticket Mr. Trump wanted to have going into the general election season. Among the names being floated were New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and even Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. Each of these tickets would have meant a different thing for the direction Donald Trump wanted to go, and his choice of Gov. Pence has its own meanings, albeit one of questionable merit.
Donald Trump, first and foremost, is known for being a man who does what he wants. He feels a decision in his gut, and then flies with that. It's no surprise then, that according to some reports, Christie was his real gut pick for VP. If Donald Trump had picked Chris Christie as his running mate, it would have indicated what many already know- that Donald Trump makes decisions from the gut, and not necessarily from a place of logic. A ticket with the loud-mouthed, no-nonsense, larger-than-life personality and Donald Trump would have shown that Trump's short-tempered, stream of consciousness was here to stay. However, such a pick would be too simple. We learn nothing new from Trump's bargaining or governing techniques from a pick like Chris Christie. In fact, if anything, it would reflect poorly on Donald Trump that his vision is so narrow that he cannot see the harms in choosing someone so similar to himself.
Newt Gingrich, on the other hand would have seemed too establishment. Gingrich was one of the leaders of the Clinton Impeachment, and is the originator of modern obstructionism in Congress. Gingrich is so old-guard Republican, that picking him as a vice presidential pick would seem to run against everything Trump has campaigned on so far. While it may have brought back some of the older, more dedicated Republican voters, ultimately, such a choice would only come across as pandering to the old-guard in an attempt to bring back the support of the big wallets.
With these two possibilities in mind, it's no wonder that Trump ended up choosing Gov. Pence. Relatively new on the national scene, Pence came into the spotlight last year when the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, allowing Christian businesses to refuse service on the basis of sexual orientation, came into effect in Indiana. While this makes Pence decidedly more conservative than any Vice President before him, it makes him the perfect pick for Donald Trump's running mate. A relative unknown, whose only claim to national fame is a position held very dearly by many religious conservatives- their right to discriminate. More importantly, Mike Pence is not a very imposing figure. So, we have the best of both worlds. A conservative in the social sense, with a relatively unimposing figure (so as not to draw attention away from Trump himself). Mike Pence, a relative unknown nationally, is the perfect blank slate for conservatives on the fence to project a candidate on to.
There is every possibility that Mike Pence could be a completely inconsequential and irrelevant Vice President. In fact, Vice Presidential pick has very little bearing on Voter Turnout or general election choice. However, Mike Pence could also be an incredibly powerful VP, as evidenced by conversations between the Trump Campaign and John Kasich. And so, in deciding whether or not to vote for Donald Trump this year, seriously consider what you would think of having Mike Pence running the country from behind the scenes. Who are you voting for- the man, or the man behind the curtain?
