Mike Pence remains persona non grata in GOP circles. The desperate Republicans vying to be Donald Trump‘s running mate must publicly disavow the former VP, who refused to throw the 2020 election.
“I would not have done what Mike Pence did,” said New York rep. Elise Stefanik, one of Trump’s top congressional attack dogs. “I don’t think that was the right approach.”
But in private, Stefanik and her team aren’t trying to separate themselves from the emasculated veep. Instead, they’re reaching out for advice, according to Politico.
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Long gone from the presidential race, Pence is reportedly in high demand as a sounding board this election season. Following Trump’s win in Iowa, Politico says intermediaries for Stefanik, Kristi Noem and Tim Scott have all sought out meetings with a top advisor to the gay-hating former governor.
“Pence may be roadkill in the Trump universe after their acrimonious breakup at the end of 2020–and Pence’s ill fated, short-lived presidential campaign last year–but other Republicans hoping to win over Trump are happy to feast on his carrion,” writes Politico’s Adam Wren.
Saddled with the unique distinction of being loathed by the left and right, Pence’s presidential campaign never gained traction. He tried to be relatable, whether it was posing for a staged photo op inside of an empty Dunkin’ Donuts or pretending to pump gas into a big red pickup truck. But none of those stunts worked.
In the end, Pence was out of money, and spouting Reagan-era talking points to virtually nobody in Iowa. MAGA diehards, who chanted their desire to hang Pence when they stormed the Capitol on January 6, never forgave him for his actions that day.
For the only time in four years, Pence put his country ahead of DJT, and it sunk his political career.
But the thirsty Republicans desperate to be Trump’s #2 aren’t using Pence’s experience as a warning sign. An advisor to the exiled VP says they want advice on how to navigate Trump world, with its ever-changing factions and dynamics.
“After everybody started getting out, everybody slowly saw the handwriting on the wall, I started getting phone calls from people who were thinking about, ‘How do we position ourselves?,'” said a member of Pence’s team.
The Politico article indicates that Noem is serious about her vice presidential aspirations. The South Dakota governor was slated to meet with one of Pence’s confidants before she left this year’s CPAC convention.
She also, apparently, traveled Monday to Mar-a-Lago for a private sit-down with Trump.
Those tidbits aren’t surprising, considering Noem has seemingly been asserting herself as a VP favorite for months. She reached a shameless new low a few weeks back, when she called for an emergency joint session of the South Dakota legislature to discuss the “invasion” happening at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Keep in mind, South Dakota is more than 1,000 miles from the Southern border, and has a minimal migrant population. Noem’s publicly stunt didn’t elicit much goodwill, but it did result in South Dakota’s largest tribe banning her from its land.
During a recent Fox News town hall, hateful host Laura Ingraham asked Trump about his top veep contenders, including Noem and Scott.
Trump, always one to play up the palace intrigue, didn’t tip his hand. He didn’t even rule out Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis, which seems crazy, considering he’s insinuated “Meatball Ron” is a pedophile, among many other hateful things.
As Pence knows, perhaps the most important characteristic for Trump’s would-be running mate is a tolerance for subjugation.
When it comes to that, Scott appears to have all the other candidates beat. He’s spent the last month as Trump’s comic relief.
The South Carolina senator’s engagement has even been used as a punch line.
Scott’s people, of course, deny they’ve made overtures to Pence. Noem’s aides insist they haven’t conversed with anybody on Pence’s team, either.
At least, that’s what they’re saying in public. As we know, the real story is always in the private jockeying.
ZzBomb
All these people clamoring for a position they will never hold, to a man who will never respect them, for a purpose that is entirely nihilistic both to their careers and our country.
bachy
Boggling how twisted the hunger for power.
abfab
Mother Pence is getting bored and is having one heck of a time keeping her ”Beach and Bath Towel I.D. Charms” company afloat. I told her it was not sustainable right from the start……..
Fname Optional Lname
i guess nobody needs to ask any of them “how low will you go for power and $”?
How do they not know that Trump will find a “pinch of disloyalty” and then demand the MAGA lemmings attack.
ZzBomb
@Fname
Right, I mean how many proverbial corpses does he have to leave in his wake before these people realize how toxic and destructive he is? Like just look at how he flipped on his own VP and had his cult members chanting for his hanging. They’re like chickens rooting for a McDonalds supersized McNugget meal.
Mister P
Well said Zzbomb.
RIGay
Yes, what didn’t kill you only makes you stronger…
Fahd
Is “emasculated” the right word to describe what has become of Mike Pence? Seems he started that way, and besides it has sexist overtones. Is Alex using the “Thesaurus” feature or what’s going on?
I predict that Eric’s father will choose the Republican nominee for VP based on how much big donor money she/he can bring to the campaign. Seems like an opportunity for the party to tap into the Adelson or Koch family fortunes, for example. Failing that, it is going to be the most loyal, least threatening among the craven remainders in the Republican cesspool.
bachy
I started getting phone calls from people who were thinking about, ‘How do we position ourselves?’
Bent over and opened wide for a start…
abfab
Hasn’t Peter Thiel opened his mouth yet. I bet he sucks reeeeeeeeel good.
dbmcvey
Anyone who says they wouldn’t do what Pence did should be disqualified.
Kangol2
Did he share with them where to hide when the crazy MAGAts come storming after them screaming for them to be hanged, as happened to Mike Pence when Don the Con and his goons tried his failed coup on January 6, 2021?
abfab
Now Kangol2, we wouldn’t want to hurt wimpyman Josh Hawley’s sensitive snowflake feelings. He can demonstrate exaclty how to prance away from an angry mob (which he encouraged in real time) and where to hide out.