Posted on 05/15/2018 12:31:04 PM PDT by ethom
The Times is out with a story detailing how a) Vice President Mike Pence and his advisers are operating as a sort of de facto political unit within the White House and b) allies of President Donald Trump are none too happy about that fact.
Here’s the key paragraph:
“Republican officials now see Mr. Pence as seeking to exercise expansive control over a political party ostensibly helmed by Mr. Trump, tending to his own allies and interests even when the president’s instincts lean in another direction. Mr. Pence and his influential chief of staff, Nick Ayers, are unsettling a group of Mr. Trump’s fierce loyalists who fear they are forging a separate power base.”
None of this should be all that surprising. Here’s why:
1.Pence, a former House member and governor, is very much a party guy. Trump, who has been an independent and now a Republican, ran against and beat that establishment in 2016.
2.Pence wants to be president when Trump is done, and that means he is spending at least part of his time as VP accruing chits from other pols for future use. Trump is already president.
3.Pence has surrounded himself with political people. Trump has no such political team in place, largely surrounding himself with longtime advisors, friends and a smattering of military generals.
Regardless of whether he should have seen it coming, you can bet Trump won’t be happy to read the Times piece about Pence or, more accurately, to watch the cable news coverage about it. Trump doesn’t like when anyone one-ups him.
The Point: Politics abhors a vacuum. Trump’s seeming disinterest in anyone’s politics other than his own create an opening for Pence. The question is whether he can take advantage without seeming like he is taking advantage.
(Excerpt) Read more at q13fox.com ...
Well, think about it. Trump runs for re-election in 2020.
Win or lose, 2020 is Trump’s last campaign.
In 2024, another Republican will be running, either to succedd Trump, or to oppose a Democrat incumbent who was himself elected in 2020.
Don’t politicos of all stripes think years ahead, in terms of planning future campaigns?
No thanks.
I’ll take “Not a Politician” for $200 Alex.
Fake News.
So Pence is doing what every other Veep in history is doing - posturing for a possible promotion after Trump is done.
So what?
Pence is far more socially conservative than Trump and would make a fine President!
I’m not interested in Mike Pence or any other member of the GOP that I am currently aware of.
I’m done with politicians.
Trump chose Pence.
Trump’s mission is to restore America to its former glory.
You’d expect him to plan beyond his own 8 years at the helm.
Just a feeling I think Mark Cuban or someone of his ilk may run in 2024, perhaps as a Republican...
“So Pence is doing what every other Veep in history is doing - posturing for a possible promotion after Trump is done.
So what?”
Assume Trump wins reelection in 2020. Would a President Pence, elected in 2024, continue Trump’s legacy or work to reinstate traditional country club crony Republicanism. Remember how quickly George H.W. Bush pushed the Reagan appointees out and returned to business as usual. The “No new taxes” campaign pledge went out the window and Bush supported a huge tax increase. In addition he appointed David Souter to the Supreme Court as well as moderate judges to lower courts. He then ran a weak campaign for reelection in 1992, losing to Bill Clinton with whom he was soon appearing as a best friend.
Reagan’s worst mistake was not replacing George H.W. Bush as his running mate in 1984. Will sticking with Pence result in a return to the traditional moderate socialism policies of the Bushes and Romney families?
The way the left has always worked is “disrupt and consolidate”. Trump is a disrupt kind of guy, much as FDR was. Pence is perfectly positioned to consolidate the gains made under Trump. Pence should make an excellent change-of-pace relief pitcher to line up our next “disrupt” candidate.
Bush, The Elder was a one termer too.
Unlike Bush41 and Bush43, Trump needs to spend time mentoring Pence.
The Art of the Deal is not easily learned by reading a book.
The Swamp will still be there in 2024.
NOPE. I’m looking at MIKE POMPEO.
The contrast between Pence and TRUMP puts my eyes out.
Pence is a chaplain.
POMPEO, not so much. Mike’s resume and credentials and experience dwarf the field, and he carries a little TRUMP- like gravitas, confidence and leadership.
Sessions and Pence are good men, humble, both judicious, principled men of faith.
Not even close to leading the USA into what lay ahead.
More and more, I’m disliking the term “social conservative”, because it has taken on the meaning of “focusing on petty social policy stuff that won’t be resolved, instead of the big, important stuff”.
President Trump, for the first time in a very long time, is paying attention to the big, important stuff. Hopefully if conservatives win big in the mid terms, he will put even more emphasis on fixing the big problems.
And his successor needs to be someone who takes the conservative philosophy even further. For example:
Give THE VAST MAJORITY of the federal land takings back to the individual states.
Ask the Chinese and the Russians to build their own versions of the UN headquarters, so that the the three powers can switch off that festering boil every 25 or 50 years.
Start winding down Social Security and Medicare from the bottom up, keeping the promises made to those getting benefits, but no longer admitting young people to the system. The FICA tax remains, but goes directly into private savings accounts, so the USG never gets its grubby mitts on it.
Completely restructure the federal judiciary, both structurally, and with massive reform of federal criminal and civil law.
Complete revamp of the US Tax Code.
Restore the US census to just an “actual enumeration” count of US citizens. No more intrusive questions.
Finally, strip a lot of the powers the presidents have usurped over the centuries, restoring them to a more balanced role within the government.
Yup and he will Undo everything again just like after the Reagan years and then came along Bush!
Pence is to Trump, as Bush was to Reagan.
He is a globalist, a free traitor, and was an open border guy. He has been 95% absent on defending Trump. He hasn’t done anything i can see to get the Senate in-line.
I think we can do better.
It isn’t “socially conservative” to be in favor of TPP and Mexican immigration.
Cuban missed the boat. The “billionaire TV personality extrovert” slot was filled by Trump. There was only one slot.
Trump was the Ipod. Cuban will be the Microsoft Zune. Lighting only strikes once.
“Pence is perfectly positioned to consolidate the gains made under Trump”
Pence won’t. He will call in all the GOPe zombies and it will look like W’s administration.
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