Yup....a safe pick is smart because this election is & always was...going to be about Trump.
Trump has almost achieved the toughest objective, getting the GOP nomination. After that it’s time to snap into Presidential Mode so that the general public can begin actually envisioning him as their President.
Pence helps him I think in this regard.
There is an argument for Safe Mode now as he only needs to be seen as a viable alternative to Hillary. She is now taking on water, and I don’t think she’s a good enough politician to pull out of the tailspin.
Of course if the Dems draw that conclusion and kick her to the curb we’ll all have to recalculate.