On Thursday afternoon, multiple sources including the New York Times have confirmed that Donald Trump intends to select Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate.
In the wake of the news breaking, Trump spokesperson and campaign managers both said that the decision has not yet been made, but the consensus outside of those limited spokespeople seems to be that Trump has chosen Pence and they are merely trying to protect that information for the big reveal tomorrow.
Pence was one of three finalists for the position including failed presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and failed presidential candidate Governor Chris Christie.
The choice of Pence comes as a surprise to some as the governor had previously endorsed Trump’s opponents during the primary and the two have a distant yet friendly relationship, having only met a handful of times.
Trump has referred to Pence as a “good man,” and a “high-quality person.”
The selection of Pence out of the three men seems like the best choice by far as Pence is popular with House Republicans and is beloved by Speaker Paul Ryan and other notable lawmakers.
These deep connections mean that he is an expert at fundraising, a fatal flaw in the Trump campaign. The addition of Pence could even be enough to entice the deep pockets of the Koch brothers to begin once again contributing to the GOP after their disgust with the Republican race meant that they chose to abstain from politics in 2016.
Pence is also everything Trump isn’t in the way of evangelical support, being a deeply and publicly religious man. Pence is a staunch social conservative as well, helping to provide a calming presence for the more liberal Trump.
Luckily for Democrats, Pence is everything progressives stand against. With this solidly conservative choice, Pence will hopefully help to turn the few straggling Bernie supporters away from a possible trap in the Trump camp.
The selection of Pence for V.P. means that if Trump becomes president, he will have saved Pence from what is expected to be a humiliating defeat for re-election as Indiana governor. He is currently in a dead-heat for the position and this new position gives him the perfect out.
Overall, it appears that the selection of Pence is one of the only smart things Trump has done so far in 2016. He has selected the most sensible and least ridicule-worthy option, and at this point in the race, that’s the most Republicans can ask for.
