Trump’s Unity Pick

Donald Trump confirmed in a tweet Friday what the media had been reporting as all but certain — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will join Trump on the ticket as his vice-presidential pick. The selection of Pence for running mate is perhaps more important for who it is not than for who it is.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is not a “Hail Mary” act of desperation. Pence is not a pandering choice designed to appeal to some specific state or demographic group. He is not an unconventional option that would defy the normal rules of politics. He is not an out-of-left-field politician who would agitate key constituencies in the conservative movement and challenge long-held Republican orthodoxy.

“I think the most important thing is this guy can be president,” said one expert.

Considering Trump has engaged in his fair share of creative destruction when it comes to the GOP Establishment, Pence is likely to reassure nervous Republicans who feared Trump might choose an electoral liability or someone lacking in conservative credentials. Few would challenge Pence’s conservative bona fides.

“It checks off some boxes for him,” said Joel Goldstein, an expert on vice presidential politics at the St. Louis University Law School.

At the same time, Goldstein said, Pence allows Trump to avoid the enormous baggage that other finalists would have brought to the ticket. Pence’s record should help unify the party without repelling independents, he said.

“It should help in that direction,” Goldstein said.

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Christopher Devine, a University of Dayton political science professor, agreed.

“It’s a relatively safe pick,” he said. “I don’t see him turning off a lot of people. I don’t see him picking a lot of people up. He’s probably a net positive for conservatives … I think the most important thing is this guy can be president.”

Pence, 57, is in his first term as governor after having served for a decade in the House of Representatives. In the House, he chaired the Republican Study Committee, a conservative caucus within the GOP that grew during his tenure from a small core to include a large proportion of the Republican members. He was also a member of the House Tea Party Caucus.

Though his credentials on foreign policy are not the crux of his appeal, Pence does bring some needed experience in foreign affairs to Trump’s ticket. His committee assignments in Congress included the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He was vice chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.

“Mr. Trump’s selection of Gov. Mike Pence is an affirmation of the pro-life commitments he’s made and will rally the pro-life grassroots.”

Terry Lathan, chairwoman of the Alabama Republican Party, disputed the idea that Trump has not yet nailed down rank-and-file conservatives. Trump’s well-received list of potential Supreme Court picks, his record-breaking performance in the Republican primaries, and the National Rifle Association’s early endorsement of him all suggest that he has, Lathan said.

“With that being said, Gov. Pence is a very conservative Tea Party favorite,” she said. “I think that’s strong messaging, as well.”

Lathan said Pence is a “rock-ribbed conservative” who will be an asset to the ticket. Trump makes his selection official on Friday, most expect.

“The fact that he’s been the governor of a state where you have to make decisions is important,” she said.

Anti-abortion activists, who had regarded with suspicion the fact that Trump might tap retired Gen. Michael Flynn, praised Pence.

“Mr. Trump’s selection of Gov. Mike Pence is an affirmation of the pro-life commitments he’s made and will rally the pro-life grassroots,” Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannelfelser said in a prepared statement. “Gov. Pence has proven to be a pro-life champion both during his time in Congress and as Governor of Indiana. It was Mike Pence who led the effort to defund Planned Parenthood in Congress, and it was Gov. Pence who signed into law a historic bill protecting unborn children from lethal discrimination in the womb. Mike Pence is a pro-life trailblazer and Mr. Trump could not have made a better choice.”

Devine said picking Flynn would likely have hurt Trump among social conservatives. He added that while some conservatives might feel that Pence caved in to pressure by vetoing a bill guaranteeing religious freedom, it likely won’t be a deal-breaker for most.

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Devine said picking Pence likely signals a maturity and seriousness that will reassure Republicans who have worried that Trump has been erratic. Picking someone too much like Trump temperamentally or with an inconsistent record on issues where he has changed his position would have been risky, Devine added.

“They [running mates] have the potential to do damage, especially if they reinforce doubts about a candidate,” he said. “He could have made other choices that would work against him.”

While most agree the pick will help Trump bring the party fully together, there are those with long memories who aren’t happy about the selection of Pence.

William Gheen, who runs the Americans for Legal Immigration political action committee, said he opposes the choice of Pence because of the former congressman’s 2006 proposal to allow illegal immigrants to gain work authorization after returning to their home countries for days or even hours.

“We had to fight a very crafty, sneaky, touch-back amnesty plan,” he said.