Highlights: To watch Pence on the trail these days is to see a man navigating the awkward, abrupt transition from being next in the line of presidential succession just four years ago to backbencher status among the Republican field. You can see him grapple with his own political mortality, working it out in public.
Since disclosing that he has just $1.2 million cash left, alongside more than $620,000 in debt, Pence’s presidential campaign has not said whether he has qualified for the third debate in Miami next month; he’s reached the polling minimum but not the donor threshold.
Nearly six months into his presidential campaign, and fewer than 90 days until the Iowa caucuses, Pence is not seeing massive crowds like his former running mate Donald Trump, or his fellow Midwesterner Vivek Ramaswamy, or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, or even his longtime frenemy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Thirty folks at Penn Drug store in Sidney on a recent Friday morning; another 30 at the Olive Branch Restaurant in Greenfield that afternoon; 60 at a senior center in Glenwood the next day. Nor is he seeing anything but single-digit backing in polls. In Iowa, he’s currently averaging just 2.6 percent among Republican voters.
It’s difficult to find a political prognosticator who is not on his payroll who gives Pence any plausible shot at winning the nomination, a reality he acknowledged on the trail earlier this month. “The media has already decided how all this is going to end,” he told just 13 people at a Pizza Ranch in Red Oak.
This lack of support from the Republican base is substantially the result of Pence not cooperating with a fascist coup, and I don’t think folks properly appreciate how incredibly ominous that is.
They’ll definitely keep trying too.
As an outside observer, it seems they don’t have anything else. What’s their platform really? Just stuff that is not popular with the broad majority (like abortion or LBTQ+ rights) and being against whatever the Democrats are doing. That’s just pathetic for one of the two biggest parties.
Yes, I don’t like Pence at all, and I want him to never win office again. But I don’t want the reason he loses to be because he didn’t literally overthrow the government. The incentives for future coups are absolutely terrifying.
Mike Pence is pretty far out there, as in he is pretty crazy on many points.
But that’s not crazy enough for modern Republicans. Today you need to be bat shit insane to have a chance as a republican.That, and the Trump sycophants now want his head because they somehow believe that he had the ability to nullify the 2020 election and place Trump in the presidency, which he did not do – for reasons that are blatantly obvious to anyone else.
Yes as in Republican is the one true religion, if you don’t have 100% faith even against evidence, you are a heretic.
Republican is not about politics anymore, it’s a cult. A death cult to be precise.What do you mean it’s a cult? It’s not like they’re making golden statues of their supposed messiah or anything! Oh wait…
You just gotta suck russian dick and you’re all set.
Yes, and that’s pretty insane IMO. All the same “values” as a Russian totalitarian. I bet Russians are super happy with Putin’s shitshow, and Republicans want the same for USA!
He was a nobody until trump came along. Then he stood up to trump. Now he’s a nobody without trump.
Surprisingly, no. Pence established himself in the House in years past. He had a good relationship with Capitol Hill until Trump disavowed him. Now he’s nobody because the base despise him for his perceived betrayal.
I think Pence would actually do better if he went full Chris Christie and attacked Trump. Pence stopped a coup attempt by certifying the vote. If the guy would stand up, denounce Trump, and paint himself a hero then he’s probably doing a lot better than he is currently. Instead he’s sitting on the fence like a massive turd.
He could pull numbers just by hammering the facts: Trump tried to have him killed. It’s a fact, a well known one, and Pence would maintain the moral upper hand as such. But Republicans are all weak greaseballs who can’t be creative unless it’s to take advantage of someone financially.
Yeah, it’s truly disappointing. By the numbers Pence should be an excellent candidate for the right, he’s been married (first marriage) to the same person since 1985, he’s so religious he has documented life events that he’s made decisions based on faith, he’s a seasoned politician (Congressman, Governor, and Vice President), and while his politics are terrible I don’t think he himself is a bad person.
For that last part, it’s a pretty low bar. It’s the sort of thought, “If he had the opportunity to kill someone without being caught, and it made him money, I don’t think he’d do it.” This is the same idea for many of our past presidents and candidates. If my (fictional) teenage daughter passed out for some reason and I had to run to get help, I wouldn’t have any concerns leaving Mike Pence (Obama, Biden, George Bush, or Romney) with her for a while so I could get help. Guy might cheat on his taxes or tell a white lie or justified lie, but he seems like a passably nice guy (in the I’ll cancel your right to an abortion, but if I get you pregnant I’ll own up and take responsibility for you and the child kind of way).
I might be reading more into his character than I should, but add that to mine and your past statement and I totally agree he would be a more popular candidate.
I’m much more pessimistic than you all that that would have any sway. Why would that work when republicans actively like Trump so much?
Right, if only his campaign was as successful as checks notes Chris Christie’s???
It’s not about the “success” of Christie’s campaign. It’s about committing to a position. As it stands, Pence looks like a fence sitter. He prevented a coup but still can’t call it like it is.
You’ve had Elf on the Shelf, get ready for Pence on the Fence!
Historically Pence hitched himself to whatever the popular wagon was. Indiana was business Republican and in his governorship over it he tried going Fox News Republican with the aim of the White House, and everyone hated him for it.
It comes as no surprise that he tried to get on Team Trump just as it comes as no surprise that since he isn’t Don hes an afterthought. His usefulness is up and his political career is done. Maybe he can get a job at Fox or a conservative thinktank where he can parrot more talking points.
I’m not saying he’d be beating Trump, but I think he wouldn’t have doubts about qualifying for the primary debates.
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Was he ever a favorite of the right? I thought he was pretty unpopular as governor in Indiana.
His purpose was to get more religious crazies on Trump’s side. Other than that, Republicans didn’t like him.
Seems like a lot of the religious seem to follow Trump regardless. For some reason they buy it when he says his favorite book is the bible and that’s he’s a Christian. Also, they don’t seem to believe Obama when he says he’s a Christian…
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I think he was supposed to be Trump’s handler, back when people thought that was possible.
They would have literally killed him if he didn’t slip away.
Oh that would have been such a tragedy. Oh no Mike Pence being killed by the movement he helped create. Him being held responsible for his actions for once in his decades of life. Clearly a tragedy.
I always thought he was super popular with the evangelicals and that those folks are declining in numbers. The way I see it, younger conservatives aren’t as religious and are just spiteful towards the left; when you’re spiteful you want a loud mouth candidate who’ll legitimize your beliefs.
I don’t think he was anyone’s favorite. If I recall correctly he was going to lose in Indiana before T picked him up to use him.
Indiana resident here. He’s as popular as warm drool.
Was he ever a favorite
Exactly what I was thinking.
god what a sad, beautiful ending
seeing him rot in public as everyone realizes in real time he is not what politics is anymore. no one wants a clean cut boring guy who’s secretly gay and also evil. their time is over.
But who they do want is far more terrifying.
Why is it that the closeted Republicans are some of the worst?
Mike Pence is a piece of shit that clings to power like a horny dog clings to a leg.
And right now, theres no obvious power going forward to hitch himself to, Thanks to the lawsuits, trials and guilty pleas that are already coming out against Trump, and the rest of the Republican Party collapsing around him due to petty infighting, bullshit, and fanatical fascism.
So that leaves Pence hanging like a damp flag in a windless sky.
Limp, ineffectual, and below notice.
But hey, at least hes not doing active harm to the country at the moment, like wanting to use medicare to torture people straight… Again.
Hell even if Trump were to magically evade all this legal shit and get on the Republican ticket, what are even the chances he would pick Pence as his running mate again anyway? I seem to recall their political relationship going up in a ball of flames around Jan 6
WTF is a pizza ranch?
It’s where the best pizzas are raised, free range and natural as god intended. The pizza wranglers are the most talented in the world, after all you have to be something special to be able to lasso a pizza when it’s at full gallop!
You really haven’t had pizza until you’ve had grass-fed pizza.
I love this post. “Natural as god intended.” LOL
Serious reply: Southeast/midwestern pizza buffet brand
With better chicken then pizza.
They also usually have Christian rock playing in the background.
Imagine one of those combined Pizza Hut/KFC stores from the 90’s, except it’s just one big combined buffet of pizza and fried chicken, and the whole place is cowboy themed.
I’m at the pizza ranch. I’m at the Pence event. I’m at the combination pizza ranch and Pence event.
I don’t know but it sounds fun. If Mike throws in a bounce house, I’m there!
what even is a pizza ranch
Asking the important question. I assume it’s the ranch where they make all the pizzas for the entire world. Big Pizza doesn’t want the public to know about it.
I think there’s a meeting every so often with elites called the Pizzaburg Group where they decide where the ranch is every year.
This is the most important question.
lol. Fuck every single piece of republican traitor filth.
And he’s unpopular for doing the right thing. The Trump team wanted him to help them steal the election and he didn’t do it. Because of that the MAGAs dragged a full size gallows to the Capitol Building and started chanting ‘hang Mike Pence’. I’m surprised he even has the nerve to campaign given how much the followers want him dead.
The thing is - he didn’t even have the power to do what they wanted him to do, he couldn’t have swung it even if he wanted to.
Burying the lede.
What the duck is a pizza ranch and where can I find one?
They’re a Jesus in your face pizza chain kind of like chick fil a. It’s really bad pizza and it’s buffet style so it’s assy and cold.
So it’s like Cici’s but more like Kaykaykay’s?
Idk cicis the kkk is spot on
Cici’s is a pizza buffet with all you can eat pizza for such a shockingly low price you have to assume it’s like 30% wet cardboard, which the taste supports. It’s where college students go to win bets on whether they can eat fifty slices of pizza and it ends up costing like $3.99.
Having had both, your description of CiCi’s is spot on. Pizza Ranch pizza is significantly better than CiCi’s, especially if it’s not out of the buffet (you can just order from PR like any other pizza place and a lot of people do), and I remember their taco pizza being really good (but I haven’t had it in 20 years). I used to live in a town where the pizza options were Pizza Hut, Pizza Ranch, and Casey’s, and I thought Pizza Ranch was the second best ahead of Pizza Hut but I definitely knew people who disagreed with that opinion (and Pizza Ranch wasn’t enough better to make up for their religious bullshit).
Huh. I’m actually surprised the pizza is decent. The more you know, I guess.
I had never heard of it either, but the headline is still hilarious
I thought it was a user headline when I saw it on Fark earlier. Nope. The actual headline.
It’s like a pizza bar. They have different kinds of pizza in a buffet. I think it’s a Midwest thing.
I’ve seen the same thing in east Texas and western Louisiana too (twenty years ago though, haven’t been in that region since)
I can’t believe he hasn’t thrown in the towel already. No one likes him on either side of the aisle.
He must really want to be president. He’s also 64, this is pretty much the last chance. Can’t play the long game like Paul Ryan who’s sitting the mess out.
He has said he believes god told him he would become president, that it’s his destiny. Giving up would mean questioning his core beliefs.
Here’s a video of a tortoise having sex.
I imagine the noise Mitch McConnell makes when masturbating is a mix of that and a tiny violin.
Although that one time he had a stroke on live television, he didn’t make that much noise.
Just thought I’d share that with everyone. You’re welcome!
He’s polling so low that I didn’t even realize he was still running. I thought I’d just missed him dropping out, the fact that he’s still “on the trail” is just pathetic.
It’s highly egotistical and clueless of pence to think he had a chance. My main question about this article though was not about him, but wtf is a “pizza ranch”. That’s how exciting Pence is.
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Pizza Ranch is a chain of pizza buffet restaurants.
Yep, I figured this out. According to their founder, though, they exist to glorify The LORD. I assume also to make money by selling people pizza. Apparently they also have Arcade Fun Zone.
Thoughts and prayers.
At what point does Pence wake TF up? His base wanted to hang him. For following the Constitution.
