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March 15, 2023

Mike Pence destroys his remaining goodwill among MAGA Republicans

By Rajan Laad

As Vice President, Mike Pence was reviled by the D.C. Democrat establishment and their P.R. wing that masquerades as the news media.

Pence is religious, conservative, and pro-life.  He also believes in marital fidelity and traditions.  He seems to stand for everything that liberals abhor.

They disparaged Pence as anachronistic and misogynistic because he revealed that he never dines alone with a woman other than his wife, nor does he attend any event where alcohol is served unless his wife is present.

When Pence was lectured by the sanctimonious cast member of Hamilton, the media applauded it.

They mocked Pence each time he led prayers in the White House alongside Trump.

When a fly landed on Pence's forehead during the 2020 vice presidential debate, Pence was compared with excrement.

The attacks received by Pence paled in comparison to the Trump Derangement Syndrome that plagued all liberals, not just in the U.S., but beyond.  It would be fair to say Pence was attacked by the media the same way Romney and McCain were during their respective presidential runs.  It wasn't as personal or destructive as it was against Trump.

But since leaving office, Pence has been the recipient of favorable treatment by the media.

Last year, the Washington Post carried a piece titled "Mike Pence, stand-up guy."

Also last year, the NYT claimed that "We Should Thank Mike Pence for His Courage on Jan. 6."

The Atlantic Magazine claimed that Congress should honor Mike Pence and name a D.C. building in Pence's honor. 

Esquire magazine too seemed to join the Pence fan club.

A CNN contributor who was caught in an act of self-gratification on a Zoom call crossed further limits of decorum by comparing Pence to Harrison Ford — i.e., implying that Pence is a solitary force of bravery and morality.

"Republican" Liz Cheney branded Pence a hero, and so did Democrat Jamie Raskin.

Why?

Obviously, because he is pushing the January 6th "deadly insurrection" narrative and blaming President Trump for it.

It must be remembered that as vice president, Pence wasn't actually averse to the swamp.

It was Mike Pence as vice president who complained about Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, lying to him about his contacts with the Russians, which led to Flynn's firing.  Flynn was among those who had pledged to drain the swamp, so with Flynn gone weeks after Trump was inaugurated, the possibility of reforming national security agencies was dropped.

Pence was in charge of the COVID-19 response that allowed Fauci and others to hijack the proceedings.

Even after leaving office, Pence's conduct was suspicious.

Weeks after the news of the discovery of classified documents at Joe Biden's offices and homes caused headlines, Pence's lawyer discovered a dozen documents marked as classified at Pence's Indiana residence.  Pence's lawyer volunteered this information to the appropriate agencies, and the news appeared in the media.  Was this a move by Pence to make Biden's mishandling of documents seem like business as usual?  One could wonder why Pence's lawyers did not undertake a similar search for classified documents at Pence's home when Trump's home was raided.

So what has Pence been up to recently?

Last Saturday, Pence attended the annual Gridiron Club dinner, which is an event of, by, and for the D.C. Establishment, where he said the following:

History will hold Donald Trump accountable for Jan. 6.

Make no mistake about it: What happened that day was a disgrace, and it mocks decency to portray it in any other way. President Trump was wrong. His reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day.

Clearly, Pence was referring to Tucker Carlson for debunking some of the hoaxes peddled by the Democrats and the media about the protests of January 6 that went overboard.

Pence had expressed similar sentiments about Trump in his book, claiming that Trump's "reckless words had endangered my family and all those serving at the Capitol."

If that was bad, Pence stooped farther down, lavishing blandishments at the mainstream media.  Perhaps he is hoping to take their newfound love to the next level.

We were able to stay at our post in part because you stayed at your post. The American people know what happened that day because you never stopped reporting.

So what is the strategy here?

According to Politico, Pence's advisers believe that these kinds of speeches could "help Pence win over his most skeptical audience these days: Washington insiders and journalists."

How did the same article in Politico reacted to Pence's flinging mud at his former boss?

While he called it critical to be transparent about what happened on Jan. 6, he continues to fight a subpoena to testify about that day — a stance he has argued is based on protecting the separation of powers as president of the Senate.

While the Gridiron remarks were harsh, they were not done with a camera rolling.

Politico makes sure it distinguishes Pence, who seems to be pushing the "violent insurrection" narrative, and the Democrats, who are pushing the same claim.  Politico is telling its readers that Pence didn't go far enough, and hence his commitment is questionable.

What they are saying is that even if Pence is accepted to the D.C. club, he will get a figurative table in a desolate corner and no Beluga caviar.

Last year, even after Pence had attacked Trump, New York Magazine carried a piece entitled "President Mike Pence Would Be Worse Than Trump."

Mike Pence had a slim chance of becoming the GOP nominee for 2024 even before his attacks on President Trump, and now that he is trying to appease the D.C. Democrat establishment, that slim chance has become minuscule.

There are a few possibilities here.

Perhaps Pence and his advisers are delusional.

Perhaps Pence is delusional, and his advisers are merely looking to make some easy money before Pence disappears into the night.

The most likely possibility is that Pence knows he has no chance with MAGA voters, who decide the nominee during primaries, but will run anyway in order to add "former presidential candidate" before his name.

That title will enable him to hike his speaking fees and get a better book or podcast or other media deal.

It also keeps him relevant; the media will give him prime-time slots to fling mud at Trump.

Prior to Trump, Republicans such as Pence had an important role in D.C.

They were pro-life, pro-marriage, and anti-abortion, which earned them conservatives votes, but when it came to other issues such as big government, open borders, and wars abroad, they sided with the Democrats.

And of course, they were expected to be gracious losers, such as Romney and McCain.

For issues that really mattered, there was not much difference among the Bushes, Clinton, and Obama.

It's hard to say if Pence is a useful idiot for the Democrats or if he was an establishment Republican pretending to be a MAGA Republican.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

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