Posted on 11/09/2025 9:27:46 AM PST by Signalman
Seemingly undeterred by his disastrous presidential bid in 2024, former Vice President Mike Pence left the door open to a comeback bid in 2028 during a recent panel discussion.
While speaking at an event hosted by the Jefferson Educational Institute in Erie, Pennsylvania, which largely centered on the intersection of Pence’s Christian faith and its intersection with his political career, the former vice president took what could be interpreted as a subtle jab at his former boss by discussing “principles” over personality. “We must resist the temptation to trade principle for power,” he said, linking the philosophy with Jeffersonian ideals.
The former vice president also discussed the direction of the Republican Party, calling for a party focused on its “core values of limited government, strong defense, and family values,” suggesting a need to move beyond internal divisions.
“Would you think of another campaign, in all seriousness?” Pence was asked by one of the co-panelists midway through the discussion. “Gee, look at the time, Steve. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. I want to keep faith with these things that I know have always made the country strong and prosperous and free. And we’ll let the future take care of itself,” he replied, leaving many commentators to speculate that he was indeed leaving the door open.
Pence formally announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on June 7, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa, marking the first time a sitting vice president ran against the president he served under since John Nance Garner in 1940.
His campaign failed to gain traction, however, as his polling average struggled to ever get above two percent, well behind the dominant frontrunner, President Trump, as well as other competitors like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
Pence took a measured but adversarial stance against Trump, criticizing his role in the January 6 Capitol protests, stating, “I had no right to overturn the election, and President Trump was wrong to suggest I did.” The former vice president has long faced intense criticism from the Trump base after he refused to call on an alternate slate of electors as GOP lawmakers were mounting a challenge to controversial election results in 2020.
At the second Republican presidential debate in September 2023, he disputed claims of voter fraud advanced by the president and a number of key allies. “I will not bow to pressure to abandon my principles, even from those I once served,” he said in a not so subtle jab at his former boss.
Fundraising for his campaign lagged significantly, with Pence raising $4.5 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared to Trump’s $45 million, DeSantis’s $15 million, and Haley’s $11 million in similar periods. This, coupled with internal polling lagging significantly in key primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire, prompted him to suspend his campaign before the Iowa caucuses.
If he does indeed decide to run again in 2028, Pence will again be facing an uphill battle, as current Vice President JD Vance finds himself as the dominant frontrunner in reputable polling averages. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also have bases of support, while Pence has again polled below two percent.
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99 responses? Come on!
Bwaa hahahahahahaha..what a maroon.
Pence is a Ponce.
I’d vote for the fly before I would vote for Pence.
probably “mother” told him to.
Pence? He’s delusional.
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