A report in the today’s Indianapolis Star shows then-Governor Mike Pence’s lukewarm endorsement of Ted Cruz is what put him on Donald Trump’s radar screen as a possible Vice-Presidential pick. The Star cited our story in the July 18, 2016, edition of the Cheat Sheet. We’re reprinting it here for your reading pleasure.
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So, we all know that Governor Mike Pence has agreed to be Donald Trump’s running mate. However, the big question a lot of people are still asking is why? Pence and Trump, on the surface, seem to go together like (fill in the analogy of your choice). And if you saw the two of them interview on 60 Minutes, you can tell it’s a bit of an odd combination. One of our reliable sources sent us a text message this morning wanting odds on how long it would take for Pence to lose it in a meeting and tell Trump to “shut the f*** up!” Granted, it would take a lot knowing Pence, but we could see it happen.
So why did Pence take the job? Well, ever since we gave Pence a 50-50 shot at getting the nomination, we’ve been talking to a lot of people very close to the Governor and have managed to put together somewhat of a reliable composite. And from what we’ve been able to gather, the Governor does think in his heart that this all part of divine intervention and God put him on this path. And the Governor thinks that he can hopefully get to the point in his relationship with Trump that he can be a moderating influence on his bombastic personality.
We know it may sound weird but think about it for a second. Think about any person you know of deep religious conviction. They firmly believe that everything that happens is part of God’s greater plan and you need to have faith that it will all work out the way it’s supposed to. And for Pence this is it. Think of it as a higher calling. Because that’s what you’d have to do in order to deal with Trump.
Another way to look at it is the teacher or police officer who works in a pretty agreeable place but leaves to go work in a really bad school or neighborhood. We would question their judgment, but if they think they can make a difference, they will give it a shot.
That is ultimately what motivated Pence to make the call and be part of team Trump. And we here at TCS have known him personally for years we think we can safely say that Pence is going to need every bit of divine intervention when it comes to dealing with the Trumpster.
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