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http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-an...813f8110c3.html

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Mike Pence’s other life

The Indiana governor this weekend took a break from being Trump’s running mate — trading talk of the Islamic State and Benghazi for chitchat on soccer and raccoons.

By MATTHEW NUSSBAUM 08/16/16

COLUMBUS, Ind. — On Monday, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence returned to his role as Donald Trump’s running mate, joining his beleaguered partner in Ohio and talking about a plan to defeat the Islamic State.

It was a far cry from Saturday, when Pence talked strategy for defeating a different nemesis: raccoons.

“We have a serious raccoon problem,” Pence explained to Kim Hoeltke at a Columbus, Indiana, farmers market, discussing the vegetable garden behind the governor’s mansion. “We really do.”

His wife, Karen Pence, at his side, looked ready to move on. But Trump’s running mate wanted to keep discussing raccoons. Per the governor, the creatures really enjoy sweet corn, including the stock growing behind the governor’s mansion. Later, Pence was purchasing corn at Hackman’s corn stand (it was like a stand selling corn), where one 14-year-old saleswoman was not star struck by the man who could soon be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

“I’ve met him like 10 times ... Over 10 times,” the young woman, Allana, said as Pence approached the corn stand.

Pence spent Saturday ostensibly campaigning for Indiana Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is seeking to succeed him in November. But he was also taking a trip into a life that was his full-time as little as a month ago, working the friendly, folksy and carefully honed persona he rode to the top of Indiana politics before joining Trump’s ticket.

It’s still a deeply political errand. Pence knew how to gently shift a constituent mid-conversation to give the press cameras a better view, gently placing a hand on her arm, shifting their positions so that they both faced toward a gaggle of reporters who stood a few feet away with their cameras trained on the governor. His wife praised Trump to a man and his grandson, standing plainly within earshot of the press. “Mr. Trump — he’s so, so kind,” she said.

It is, however, a political errand that exists at least partly outside of Trump’s shadow. Yes, the gaggle of national reporters tracked his every move, and yes, they queried him about his tax returns.

But Pence ignored them, for once unencumbered by Trump’s controversies as he lavished his attention on the good people of Columbus, Pence’s childhood hometown. And as Pence made his was from Upland Pump House to the farmers market to Joe Willy’s Burger Bar on a grey Saturday, his love for the intimacy of retail politicking was on display.

With hugs and handshakes, and many a “Good to see ya” and “How’s the family?” the stops felt more like Pence was running for mayor of Columbus, as he addressed people by name and never rushed a conversation.

At the burger restaurant, Pence moved from table to table as waitresses slid through a throng of reporters and curious diners looked on. With Karen at his side, he extended his arm to snap a selfie with two young girls before passing the phone to a staffer for a proper photo. At the next table, he delivered a high five to 4-year-old Alex Utt, and discussed the chaos of youth soccer with the boy's parents, Bryce and Alicia. “Beautiful family,” he quietly remarked before making his way to the kitchen to greet some workers.

This type of retail politicking is the polar opposite of Trump’s operation, which is fueled by mass rallies and media spectacle. Trump has questioned the utility of the small-group addresses.

“Because Trump comes in, he has these big rallies, and then he leaves,” Trump told a crowd in Scranton, PA in late July. “And I’m supposed to have dinner, like, with two people, spend the entire evening then go to another two. And they said ‘why do you do that?’ And I said well I do it because I can get the rallies, the other people can’t get the rallies.”

And indeed, while Pence was making the rounds in Columbus, Trump spent the weekend in a Twitter war with the national press, including a Sunday tweet about how national outlets unfairly cover his rallies by failing to “show crowd size or enthusiasm.”

By Monday, Pence was back in Trump’s world, having flown to Ohio for Trump’s foreign policy address and echoing his media attacks. “While many in the national media continue to major in the minors, focusing on semantics over substance, today you will hear once again, a man who will remain focused on the solutions to the real challenges facing the people of the United States of America,” Pence said while introducing Trump.

Tuesday, he’ll head to two solo events in New Mexico and then on to stops in Nevada and New Hampshire later in the week. The travel schedule will only get more intense as Election Day nears, taking Pence farther and more frequently away from the home state stops at farmers markets and burger joints.