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

Indiana clinched the nomination for Trump. It could also sink him if he makes a political gaffe and choice.

_

Take Pence, please.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/07/politics/mik...onald-trump-vp/

Pence introduces Trump at rally that doubles as VP audition

WESTFIELD, Indiana (AP) — Republican Donald Trump campaigned alongside Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Tuesday evening, the latest in a series of public auditions as the billionaire businessman mulls his vice presidential pick.

Walking onto the stage to cheers, Pence confidently introduced the presumptive GOP nominee and vigorously advocated for Trump as the best person to lead the country. The speech made clear that despite his mild-mannered reputation, the governor and former Congressman could serve the role of attack dog if Trump taps him as his running mate.

"Donald Trump hears the voice of the American people," Pence said, saying that the billionaire "understands" the country in a way no one has since Republican icon Ronald Reagan. His voice raised, Pence drew thunderous applause when he warned of dire consequences if Democrat Hillary Clinton is elected.

Pence would be a welcome pick among anxious Republican officials who are looking for a steady, disciplined counterpart to Trump's freewheeling style. GOP officials are already starting to gather in Cleveland ahead of next week's national convention.

Taking the stage after Pence's introduction, Trump surveyed the large crowd packed into a new arena in suburban Indianapolis. "Wow," he declared before calling Indiana, which delivered him the nomination after he won the primary here in May, "a special place."

Trump opened by reading prepared remarks about shootings that have dominated headlines in recent days. He said his comments come "right from the heart." He was speaking hours after a memorial service for police officers slain in Texas.

"Our whole nation grieves and mourns for the loss of five heroes in Dallas," he said. He again referred to himself as "the law and order candidate." And he said "hostility against the police must end." He also touched on the deaths of men in Louisiana and Minnesota at the hands of officers. Video footage of those incidents has riveted the nation.

"It was tough to watch," he said. "We have to figure it out."

He questioned whether inadequate officer training or "something else" was responsible.

Late in the rally, he again spoke about Pence, playfully saying, "I don't know if he's going to be your governor" or join the Trump ticket. Trump is expected to his running mate this week. He and Pence also appeared together at a fundraiser earlier Tuesday.

Many in the crowd said they were hopeful Pence would be chosen by Trump.

Christina Lewellen, of Indianapolis, said Pence would have a calming effect because he "doesn't get caught up in the drama like Donald does."

"I think he'll be a restraining device," Lewellen said. "He's almost like a white Ben Carson ... which is excellent. He's calm, cool and collected."

A Democrat who'd come for the spectacle also said Hoosiers would be delighted to see Pence move on.

Dan Gettelfinger, of Indianapolis, summed up his feelings in two words: "Good riddance."

http://indy.st/29FmOUB

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Now thats just great. Americans watching the upcoming interviews and debates....will have to ENDURE THIS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2oeLgAFeCg

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Donald Trump misses a big opportunity to promote his running mate pick

Melanie Mason

Hours after Donald Trump revealed that Mike Pence would be his running mate, the silver-haired Indiana governor occupied prominent space on a presidential campaign website. The only problem: The website was Hillary Clinton’s.

Clinton’s team published a page to attacking Pence almost immediately after the announcement, describing Trump’s pick as a “would-be disaster for America.”

Meanwhile, on Trump’s website, mention of the Indiana governor was practically invisible, save for an automatic stream of the real estate mogul’s Twitter feed far at the bottom of the page.

Trump’s announcement — fittingly made on Twitter, where he has elevated his unfiltered musings to a political art form — lacked many of the digital trappings of a modern presidential campaign, a reflection of the presumptive GOP nominee’s unorthodox and at times haphazard operation.

And the roll-out stood in stark contrast to Clinton’s rapid response, which included a slickly produced video and talking points in Spanish.

“It's a highly professional, mechanized campaign in Clinton world in Brooklyn, and then over at Trump Tower, it’s all being run out of his back pocket. It's by the seat of his pants,” said Rob Stutzman, a Sacramento-based Republican strategist who does not support Trump.

Soon after Trump tweeted his choice Friday morning, journalists and political observers noted the unveiling was markedly incomplete. One reporter catalogued 11 details the Trump campaign overlooked in the announcement, including a failure to secure relevant Web domains and update Pence’s own campaign website. (Pence dropped out of the governor’s race on Friday in order to join the ticket.)

Meanwhile, the Clinton campaign was quick to capitalize on the announcement. It organized a conference call with groups supporting gay and abortion rights to denounce the pick, and texted supporters about the news, coupling attacks on Pence’s record with a fundraising appeal.

And then there’s Trump’s new logo, revealed in a fundraising missive. The interlocking T and P struck some observers as hastily designed, with its apparently inadvertently graphic overtones.

These may be small details, but Stutzman said the omissions were symptomatic of a disorganization that could spill over into crucial digital operations like fundraising or targeting key voters.

“This is evidence that suggests that this is not a well-managed, well-run, state-of-the art campaign,” he said.

#Never Hillary

The Ultimate ODD COUPLE

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I'll take a odd couple over a liar,crook and enabler anyday.

This is sad:


http://lat.ms/2abEDKx

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Sad is Policemen getting shot all over this once great country and all Obama and Hillary can talk about is BLM. Politics on Hillary's part showing up in the worst form. Poor policies by the Democrats have led to nearly half the population with an inadequate education and dependent on the Government for their very existence. Let's get someone in the oval office(and Congress) who attempts to get America back to work and not reliant on handouts. First African American President and race relations have taken a major step backwards. So much "Hope" in 2008 has vanished. Noble Peace Prize winner, what a joke the world is in worse shape due to America's lack of leadership during Barry's two terms. Maybe he can go back to being a Community organizer in Chicago come January 2017 and solve gang issues and race relations since he couldn't do any of this in eight years as President.

Half the RNC speeches....are plagiarized:


http://bit.ly/29Ls0oK

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This is sick:


http://nydn.us/29X10yS

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He was just playing to the Democratic base of LGBT's.

Geez, Trump just added a: 'Q' to LGBT.


http://abcn.ws/2ae3IDh

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Well we know that isn't Melania in the picture however the face does look familar.

Want to explain that, buddy?

Young boy to Pence: Are you Trump's apologist?

At a North Carolina town hall Thursday, among the toughest questions Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence faced came from an 11-year-old boy.

By BIANCA PADRÓ OCASIO 08/04/16

“I’ve noticed you’ve been softening up on Trump’s words and policies. Is this going to be your role in the administration?” the boy asked Pence as the crowd erupted in laughter

“What I’ve learned, Matthew, and you’ll learn it when you’re governor of North Carolina … Sometimes things don’t come out the way that you mean them,” Pence said. “I couldn’t be more proud to stand with Donald Trump,” Pence added.

Trump has dealt with an array of controversies over the past week, including a public feud with the parents of a deceased U.S. soldier and a flap over the Republican nominee’s refusal to endorse Paul Ryan in the House speaker’s upcoming primary. In both cases, Trump’s running mate seemed to try to lessen the tension, with Pence praising the parents’' sacrifice and saying that he endorsed Ryan with Trump’s encouragement.

On Thursday, Trump’s running mate also slammed Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, saying they played major roles in secretly sending money to the Iranian government the morning that it released four Americans, adding they “essentially put a price tag on every American” who goes abroad.

Pence insisted Clinton should be automatically disqualified from being president, and he took an opportunity to painted the media as in cahoots with Democrats.

“The funny thing is the party in power seems helpless to figure out our nominee. And of course, I’m referring to the media,” he said. “I mean the media, and the Democrats, they all have the same problems. They all keep telling each other the usual methods are going to work against him, they keep thinking they’ve done him in, they think this is over, we finally got him, and they turn on the TV the next morning and Donald Trump is still standing and fighting in front of thousands of people and he will make America great again.”

I'm sure the bright 11 year old boy came up with this question on his own. When is the last time Crooked Hillary had a press conference? That's right she can't answer questions on the fly. Telepromptor Queen(sigh)

The real pressing issue and question now in this race....is if Pence will move to the TOP of the ticket.....when his bombastic boss drops out before the election...as everyone now seems to be predicting.

http://politi.co/2aJgKGs

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If he does move to the top I hope he makes school of choice an option everywhere and for everyone. He could make closing down underperforming schools a priority.

http://politi.co/2bcZqgA

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Pence made the biggest mistake of his political career hitching his wagon to Trump.

So its either Pence moves to the top of ticket....or Congress picks the next Prez. You tell me.

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The GOP isn't winning this election. It doesn't really matter, the damage has been done.

http://politi.co/2aUJq1M

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I'm not sure what damage you are talking about? Benghazi, 30,000 emails dumped, $$$ for favors from foreign countries, enabling a cheating husband, a poor economy, a gutted military, record debt, more people on food stamps and no longer even looking for work. Hitching your wagon to Obama and the whole BTL mess where the police are considered guilty of doing their jobs and the current administration blames them for poor race relations. I guess you are right this must be a GOP issue.

No let's give people free college, waive student debt and continue a country in decline. The real problem is both sides are getting "fat" at the expense of the citizens of this country and we need to hit a reset button. Big money calls the shots and couldn't care less about the middle class or the poor except to get votes to keep receiving their perks in office.

Wow!!! Well said Jesse B!! I am not the biggest fan of Donald Trump, but he is way, way, way better then a lying, cheating, pay for play politician like Clinton. They put Blago away for 14 years for trying to get pay for play, and he didn't succeed. She has gained millions personally from her dealings. When will they finally convict her? I also like Trump because he is 1) truly an outsider and owes nothing to anyone and 2) he is NOT a lawyer. It is about time we have someone that is not a lawyer, similar to Reagan (not a lawyer) that will act based on doing what is right and not based on a favor you owe to a particular group. Based on the size of people attending his rallies versus hers, he will win by a landslide. We will see.

Trump has "succeed" by taking all attention off of everything that Hillary Clinton has ever done. Instead she is literally running on a platform, of "hey y'all watch him!". That is why the damage has been done. This isn't a Presidential election, it is a circus. No one is looking at HIllary anymore.

This is a classical shrewd Trump SETUP:


http://ind.pn/2b0LX9Q

All its gonna take is another Orlando or San Bernardino type massacre before the election, and the Trumpster IS IN.

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Pence urges investigation into Clinton 'pay-to-play'

The Indiana governor also said Trump will lay out his vision to defeat ISIS on Monday.

By COLIN WILHELM 08/14/16

Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence is calling for an investigation into whether contributions to the Clinton Global Initiative influenced Hillary Clinton’s decisions as secretary of state.

“The new emails that have been made public just in the last week seem to make a direct connection between favors done by State Department officials and major foreign donors to the Clinton Foundation,” the Indiana governor said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Asked whether there is any actual evidence that Clinton, now the Democratic presidential nominee, made decisions driven by those donations, Pence hedged at first and then doubled down.

“Certainly, officials at the FBI, we also found out this week, believe that there should be an investigation, and Obama's Department of Justice apparently has shut that down,” Pence said. “The public has a right to know, because this — really and truly, this is exactly the kind of pay-to-play politics the American people are, are sick and tired of. But, frankly, it is just one more example of the way I do believe that the Clintons have been operating over the last 30 years.”

Pence seemed to contradict Donald Trump’s claim that he was being sarcastic when he labeled called Clinton and President Barack Obama the founders of the Islamic State.

“Well, I think he was being very serious, and he was making a point that needs to be made, that there is no question that the failed policies of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the wider Middle East, created a vacuum within Iraq in which ISIS was able to arise,” Pence said in the Fox interview, taped Friday in the Indiana governor’s mansion. “Donald Trump has a way of talking to get people’s attention, and it’s drawn attention to a very important issue.”

The Republican presidential nominee will detail his plan to defeat ISIS in a major speech on Monday in Ohio, Pence said.

“He’s going to lay out his vision and his strategy for defeating radical Islamic terrorism,” Pence said.

Trump’s Self-Reckoning

The GOP nominee and his supporters face a moment of truth.

WSJ

Donald Trump lashed out at the media on Sunday after more stories describing dysfunction inside his presidential campaign. “If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn’t put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%,” Mr. Trump averred on Twitter.

Mr. Trump is right that most of the media want him to lose, but then that was also true of George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. It’s true of every Republican presidential nominee. The difference is that Mr. Trump has made it so easy for the media and his opponents.

The latest stories comport with what we also hear from sources close to the Trump campaign. Mr. Trump’s advisers and his family want the candidate to deliver a consistent message making the case for change. They’d like him to be disciplined. They want him to focus on growing the economy and raising incomes and fighting terrorism.

They think he should make the election a referendum on Hillary Clinton, not on himself. And they’d like him to spend a little time each day—a half hour even—studying the issues he’ll need to understand if he becomes President.

Is that so hard? Apparently so. Mr. Trump prefers to watch the cable shows rather than read a briefing paper. He thinks the same shoot-from-the-lip style that won over a plurality of GOP primary voters can persuade other Republicans and independents who worry if he has the temperament to be Commander in Chief.

He also thinks the crowds at his campaign rallies are a substitute for the lack of a field organization and digital turnout strategy. And he thinks that Twitter and social media can make up for being outspent $100 million to zero in battleground states.

By now it should be obvious that none of this is working. It’s obvious to many of his advisers, who are the sources for the news stories about dysfunction. They may be covering for themselves, but this is what happens in failing campaigns. The difference is that the recriminations typically start in October, not mid-August.

These stories are appearing now because the polls show that Mr. Trump is on the path to losing a winnable race. He is now losing in every key battleground state, some like New Hampshire by double digits. The Midwest industrial states he claimed he would put into play—Wisconsin, Pennsylvania—have turned sharply toward Mrs. Clinton.

More ominously, states won by John McCain and Mitt Romney are much closer than they should be. If Mr. Trump is fighting to hold Georgia, Arizona and even Utah by September, a landslide defeat becomes all too possible.

The tragedy is that this is happening in a year when Republicans should win. The political scientist Alan Abramowitz has spent years developing his “time for a change” forecasting model. The model looks at the rate of GDP growth in the second quarter of an election year (1.2% this year), the incumbent President’s approval rating, and the electorate’s desire for change after one party has held the White House for eight years.

No model is perfect, but Mr. Abramowitz’s has predicted the winner of the major-party popular vote in every presidential election since 1988. His model predicts that Mr. Trump should win a narrow victory with 51.4%. A mainstream GOP candidate who runs a reasonably competent campaign would have about a 66% chance of victory.

Mr. Trump has alienated his party and he isn’t running a competent campaign. Mrs. Clinton is the second most unpopular presidential nominee in history—after Mr. Trump. But rather than reassure voters and try to repair his image, the New Yorker has spent the last three weeks giving his critics more ammunition.

Even with more than 80 days left, Mr. Trump’s window for a turnaround is closing. The “Trump pivot” always seemed implausible given his lifelong instincts and habits, but Mr. Trump promised Republicans. “At some point I’ll be so presidential that you people will be so bored, and I’ll come back as a presidential person, and instead of 10,000 people I’ll have about 150 people and they’ll say, boy, he really looks presidential,” he said in April.

Those who sold Mr. Trump to GOP voters as the man who could defeat Hillary Clinton now face a moment of truth. Chris Christie, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Paul Manafort and the talk-radio right told Republicans their man could rise to the occasion.

If they can’t get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races. As for Mr. Trump, he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be President—or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence.

_

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.

I wholeheartedly agree with southsider - this election, particularly the RNC, is a travesty of our democracy, but largely, self-inflicted. At Thanksgiving, our family discussed the situation - as we are all largely independent and vote our conscience in all cases. One of my sisters lived in DC and I told her that I felt sorry for those folks who take this stuff seriously. whatever your political sway, there are serious people, many of them young, who work for these institutions and in my opinion, are getting hurt. They are well educated, good people, part of our national treasure, and this experience is souring them plenty on the process. My own opinion is that the RNC is "reaping" what they "sowed" - and yeah, this looks deep and wide in terms of the future - especially given the way the electoral maps have been redrawn to carve up "safe" RNC districts and pack unsafe ones into mega-color districts. (Think I'm making it up? - take a look at your own district's history. Ever wonder why MC got put into the 1st and out of the 2nd? Probably too many people of color for the 2nd, which used to be a greatly contested district of yesteryear. ) What happens is that it is easy to keep the House, but impossible to get the White house and dangerous for the Senate. Google ALEC + congressional districts. Ah ha!

For more on defections at the RNC, seeYoung People Leaving RNC .

As far as corruption is concerned, I won't go into the Clinton Foundation, et al, as fox news is doing a great job on that - perhaps hourly. But here is something you won't hear on fox news Trumps' tax dodge in NJ under Christie. Corruption is part of the insiders' game, and up rooting it here or Russia is simply not easy. Nor is it one-sided - ever!

So here is your new mouthpiece, give the last guy was caught in some unsavory escapes in Ukraine Trump's New Man. How is a person like this ever going to appeal to anyone other than angry white guys? And guess what - there are less and less angry white guys every year! (I am white, middle class btw.).

Madam Secretary may not be the best to anyone, but she will be the best for everyone - me, you, Wall Street and maybe even a few Bernie supporters. Bill Clinton got us family leave, plant closure act (Trump supporters forgot that one I'm sure), kept us out of war and economic ruin, and fooled around - so what! Bush gave us trillion dollar wars, scores of dead young men, a bunch more with PTSD, economic turmoil and yet the rich got richer - amazing. Yeah, vote that way again for a guy who maybe even worse than that! Obama also kept us out of war, guided one of the biggest economic recoveries in human history (and, probably didn't notice that the USA economy skipped the recessions in China and Europe!!), and gave us universal health care. And they want to string them up.

Why American 99%ers vote against their interests is beyond me and I'm likely to die with that. Hope my sons do better. It isn't the Clintons or Obama's fault that you got Trump - it is your RNC - who lauded him because of the new voters. But they were silly- those were new voters to the primaries!!! Open primaries were new as well, which skewed results. Court a dying breed - die with them. Court the new folks - Latin, young people, techies and more people with health care issues - you win.

I thought Cruz might challenge Clinton because he is smart, but that ship sailed. Obama haters better start focusing on defeating Bayh et al., or it will be a blue Christmas big time.

I think Pence is going to be ok the way George H.W. Bush was - a real loyalist. The RNC/GOP folks will remember that he took one for the team. Pence is a fellow demagogue, but fairly harmless in a place like Indiana, where we pretty much run things without big brother. I see him running for Senator against Joe D down the road or picking up a cherry fat cat spot in Washington anytime soon.

All I will say Mike is I will cancel your vote out. #Never Hillary

Trump needs to be more Trumpian.

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1. you have no idea how I am going to vote
2. you missed the point of my blog
3. I am guessing you will get the last word on the post which is fine

I suspect Indiana will vote for trump given the pence factor and in some ways this is nice because most value loyalty. so if you live in Indiana...

however, if you live in Michigan, I think an "OMG" is in order - particular our neighbors in Berrien, read on
Trump losing western michigan and more

Pence builds bridges, alone

He’s reaching out to the GOP establishment in hopes of uniting the party, but the establishment isn’t warming to Trump, and Trump isn’t helping.

By MATTHEW NUSSBAUM

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Mike Pence is on a mission to mend fences between recalcitrant Republicans and Donald Trump, but Trump isn’t helping him do it.

Pence is hoping his years in the upper echelons of Republican politics will help him win over Republicans still skeptical of their party’s nominee, but his bid has gotten little help from the top of the ticket. The plan for GOP outreach started with Pence, his aides confirm, and while Trump nominally supports the effort, he hasn’t taken an active part in it. Pence, not Trump, picks who gets meetings and phone calls, and when Pence does speak with fellow Republicans, Trump does not send along guidance or specific messages for his running mate to convey. The extent of Trump’s participation is to discuss with Pence some, but not all, of his meetings.

Asked about the outreach process, Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks said the Pence campaign would reply.

Trump’s lack of involvement hasn’t stopped Pence from trying to win over Trump skeptics. He met with his longtime friend Sen. Jeff Flake in Arizona, spoke by phone with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and left a voicemail for Ohio Gov. John Kasich (Kasich returned the call, but the two had not connected as of Tuesday morning). Pence told Flake that Trump is “a different guy in private than he is shown in public,” according to Flake.

So far, however, none of the men Pence contacted have warmed to Trump — Republican insiders say that, absent big changes from Trump, his running mate's outreach effort is unlikely to have much success.

“He's going to be a good soldier,” Rick Tyler, who worked for Cruz, said of Pence, acknowledging that reaching out to anti-Trump Republicans is part of the job. As to whether the overtures would work, however, Tyler had a simple answer: “No.”

Stuart Stevens, a top strategist for Mitt Romney in 2012 and a vocal Trump critic, was specific in what Pence could do to win over GOP skeptics: “My outreach plan would be to have Pence replace Trump. I think that would work.”

Trump’s troubles with the GOP establishment were profound even before he it became public that he was shaking up his campaign leadership with the addition of Stephen Bannon, formerly a top executive at Breitbart News whose withering attacks are directed equally at Democrats and the Republican establishment. (The other half of the staff shakeup, Kellyanne Conway’s elevation to campaign manager, may help Pence’s efforts and influence on the ticket, as she previously worked as a pollster for Pence.)

Pence’s support for even those Republicans who do not support Trump can have awkward consequences. When he was asked Tuesday at a New Mexico town hall why some Republicans, such as Gov. Susana Martinez, are not supporting the nominee, he responded by calling Martinez “a dear, dear friend” and “a great governor.” The crowd booed.

Pence has also made efforts with some GOP backers of Trump who have been less than enthusiastic in their support. He spoke by phone with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and set up an in-person meeting with Sen. John McCain in Arizona.

And Pence had more opportunities to evangelize on Trump’s behalf with fellow Republicans on Tuesday, when he made his way to Aspen, Colorado, to deliver a lunchtime address to the Republican Governors Association Summer Meeting. Among those in attendance at the meeting were Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, both of whom have said they will not support Trump. Martinez, who was a target of Trump’s ire earlier this year, was also in attendance, and spoke with Pence. Pence, who has served in the Indiana statehouse since 2013, has a personal rapport with many in attendance that Trump does not. And Pence, of course, has refrained from attacking his fellow Republicans.

Among some vehemently anti-Trump Republicans, however, no amount of Pence outreach can paper over their differences, leaving Pence searching for a consolation prize: keeping them from vocally opposing Trump, and depriving Hillary Clinton's campaign of more fodder from the anti-Trump wing of the GOP.

Even as Pence has made these efforts, Trump has continued to alienate his fellow Republicans, including by initially declining to endorse McCain and House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump’s addition of Brietbart editor Stephen Bannon as his campaign manager has the potential to further marginalize some moderate Republicans, which could make Pence's job even tougher. After the latest turmoil at the top of the campaign, Stevens said he sees more Republicans un-endorsing the candidate than actually coming on board. And the self-interest may continue to drive Republicans away from Trump as he languishes in the polls.

Even if his efforts fail to yield fruit, however, the outreach is a no-lose affair. Regardless of what it does to help Trump's campaign, it keeps Pence’s cachet with the establishment intact, protecting a potential political future should Trump fall short in November.

Pence will be in a powerful position if Trump loses in November, having built a national network and profile. He could potentially run for a Democrat-controlled Senate seat in Indiana in 2018, or aim for the GOP presidential nomination in 2020. But both advocating for Trump and avoiding being brought down by him makes for a difficult balancing act.

Tyler, the former Cruz campaign aide, was skeptical that respect for Pence would win Republicans over to Trump.

“Their own judgment is going to override Mike's efforts. They know what he’s trying to do,” Tyler said.

Stevens, again, was more blunt.

"Donald Trump is a ridiculous human being,” Stevens said Wednesday. "In life, when a good friend of yours suggests that you go out with a crazy person, that doesn’t make the person any less crazy. They’re still crazy.”

Pence dismisses concerns about Clinton's health, stokes fears of 'rigged' election

By MATTHEW NUSSBAUM 08/30/16 05:03 PM EDT

Mike Pence dismissed concerns about Hillary Clinton’s health on Tuesday, but he continued to stoke worries about Democrats stealing the election from Donald Trump via mass voter fraud.

“I would tell you I think your skepticism is well-founded, but the response ought to be action,” Pence told a questioner at a Georgia town hall who said she worried the election would be “rigged.”

Pence encouraged people in the audience to work at their local polling places to ensure the integrity of the vote, as he has encouraged other audiences that have raised the question.

But while stoking fears of fraud, Pence pushed back against claims that Clinton was covering up serious health troubles. Pence was asked by one audience member for his thoughts on whether Clinton should release her health records given, the questioner said, “claims made by several doctors including Dr. Ben Carson and Dr. Drew off of CNN and other professionals concerning Hillary Clinton’s deteriorating health and judgment ability.”

“I’m less concerned about her bad health as I am about her bad ideas,” Pence said. “That’s the stuff that keeps me up at night. I mean, she wants to raise taxes … She thinks Obamacare is just a good start.”

Pence did say Clinton and Trump ought to release their health records.

“The public always has a right to know,” he said.

Another questioner broached the subject of illegal immigration — once the signature issue of the campaign that has become muddled in recent days as Trump has waffled about whether or not he actually supports deporting the 11 million people here illegally, as he previously said.

The questioner referred to “anchor babies,” which she defined as a child “born to two illegals.” She incorrectly stated that only children born to two naturalized citizens are citizens under the 14th Amendment. In fact, anyone born in the United States are granted citizenship under the Civil War-era amendment. Pence did not correct her. Trump has previously questioned the principle of birthright citizenship.

Pence demurred on any specifics, telling the questioner to watch Trump’s immigration address scheduled for tomorrow.

“Get ready for a speech tomorrow night,” Pence said. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of him, but wait about 24 hours, you’re going to hear a lot of detail.”

During a recent interview, Pence also sidestepped the issue, saying Trump’s calls for mass deportation were “a mechanism, not a policy.”

http://bit.ly/2cnkkcp

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“I’m overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve championed for years”--David Duke


http://politi.co/2cJUGMO

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Pence: Gennifer Flowers will not be at debate

Kyle Chenney

Mike Pence insisted Sunday that Gennifer Flowers — who claimed to have an affair with Bill Clinton before his presidential run — would not be attending Monday’s debate, despite Donald Trump’s invitation.

“Gennifer Flowers will not be attending the debate tomorrow night,” he told Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace speaking of the event slated for Hofstra University in New York.

Pence said Trump’s suggestion he might invite Flowers was a “tweet” in response to Hillary Clinton’s campaign decision to invite mogul Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, to sit in the front row of the debate.

“Hillary Clinton apparently thinks this is an episode of 'Shark Tank,'” he said, adding, “Mark Cuban has been out there saying some pretty tough stuff about my running mate … [He] knows about as much about national security as I do about professional basketball.”

Indiana made the news again.

Federal court repudiates Pence edict

I wrote to Gov. Pence when this went out - knowing full well this would happen. I also find it hard to believe that a evangelical Christian would ever issue an edict like this. Godless Europe is shouldering 85% of the refugees - the USA about 2% - while the Christian crusade does it's best to elect a xenophobe.

Meanwhile, 2nd rep Walorski wants to keep open a jail that costs over $10 million/prisoner. Now there's some good ol' conservatism for you!

Walorski keeping Gitmo open - at all costs

The hypocrisy is as thick as it gets.

WHO WON THE VP DEBATE?

http://bit.ly/2dJHg8F


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I am always looking for opportunities to learn in my life, especially since my age is a factor in just plain living. I am grateful to diggler for putting this up.

if you click on the link, it brings you to the drudge report's poll of the debate winner. Like a topic prominent in the debate (the difference between an autocracy and a democracy), this poll shows 96% for Pence and 6% for Kaine. You have to laugh. This is what pundits and experts alike are calling "an unscientific internet poll" - I didn't know what they were talking about until I saw this. Thanks again.

Since you asked a question, I will answer - "it doesn't matter". VP debates are watched overwhelming by partisans, and very few independents/undecided (if there are any left right now) will watch, and very unlikely until it ends.

Gov. Mike Pence did a good job in the face of a terrible situation. He articulated the RNC positions and his own pretty well and I understood them. What he didn't do well, as if he really could, was defend Donald Trump's positions, which are largely, in this democracy at least until this point, indefensible. I also did not like that he chided Kaine for being well prepared - this is after all the second most important position in the world, and to be prepared for a debate is not a bad thing and is highly recommended. Silly me for thinking this.

Sen. Kaine also articulated his positions well and had no problem including his running mate into them. I learned a lot about their programs (it was great that he bullet pointed them - very professional) and found his distinctions and differences quite striking - which is good for everybody. Some chat about his interrupting is OK by me, maybe he did it too often, maybe if he held back it would be more effective, but in my opinion, it was not material to the outcome or information disseminated from it (apologies to the Pence fans).

Though it didn't make good television, it was an excellent example of how our democracy is supposed to work and how professional people can articulate positions without a food fight. I also thought the moderator was very good in that she was a monotone and gave reminders about time and interruptions. The debate was a win-win - there were no losers.

However, I think the big question, which did make good television for those who stuck with it and were truly undecided, was the question about faith. Sen. Kaine gets my vote here. In a democracy, you simply can't take your personal beliefs into the office - you have to do what the law abiding voting public has for you. Like Kaine, I am against the death penalty for reasons of faith, but in my own town we have a death house. I think this is terrible - I wish it was not there. But until my fellow Hoosiers agree with me (and look at their own faith's true teachings, because it is there in every faith - i.e., "thou shalt not kill"), I will not block decisions - I might hold a candle or say a prayer for the condemned, but if the people of the State wants it, I would not stand in the way. Kaine must have had it really tough - Virginia is second only to Texas in state executions. God help him.

Gov. Pence, with regard to pregnancy termination, is different. He thinks that his faith trumps all others and we should follow his values and moral and ethics that he himself has obtained. This is wrong. Gov. Pence would have every woman report a heavy period, disallow pregnancy terminations for the most heinous of crimes, and force women to term on every account of conception - without State support. With regard to contraception, Gov. Pence has this wild and inhumane idea that every young person will make the right decision when it comes to engaging in sex and simply does not need protection. This is simply ridiculous. We should all teach children proper behavior, but it can't be legislated. We have to provide people choices and safeguards.

On substance - Kaine; on delivery - tie

For once I have to agree with Mr. OxyContin:

http://bit.ly/2dLqNkg

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Jon Huntsman calls on Trump to drop out of the race

By MADELINE CONWAY 10/07/16 08:58 PM EDT

Jon Huntsman, the former governor of Utah who had endorsed Donald Trump for president, is calling on the Republican nominee to drop out of the race and leave his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, to take his place at the top of the ticket.

“In a campaign cycle that has been nothing but a race to the bottom — at such a critical moment for our nation — and with so many who have tried to be respectful of a record primary vote, the time has come for Governor Pence to lead the ticket,” Huntsman told The Salt Lake Tribune.

Huntsman, a Republican who ran for president in 2012, called on Trump to bow out of the race in the wake of revelations that he had made a series of aggressive sexual comments about women, bragging about groping them, in a private conversation in 2005.

The Washington Post published video and audio from that conversation, between Trump and NBC’s Billy Bush, on Friday, prompting a flurry of condemnation from other Republicans, including Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee. Democrats have been quick to jump on the comments to further their argument that Trump is sexist.

If anywhere, Huntsman’s rebuke of Trump would be most likely to resonate in his home state of Utah, which is reliably Republican but has a large Mormon population with whom Trump’s rhetoric about women is not likely to sit well.

Another prominent Republican with roots in Utah, Mitt Romney, has refused to endorse Trump and also offered sharp criticism of the nominee’s leaked comments. Evan McMullin, a conservative who is running a long-shot independent bid for president, was born in the state.

http://nydn.us/2dYlGJp

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Pence backs off from subbing for Trump in Wisconsin as fallout intensifies

Tony Cook , Chelsea Schneider and Maureen Groppe , IndyStar 2:30 p.m. EDT October 8, 2016


Trump's lewd comments about women cause some GOP leaders to distance themselves from him

It is expected that Gov. Mike Pence will no longer stand in for Donald Trump at a Republican Party event in Wisconsin on Saturday.

Pence said Saturday he was "offended by the words and actions" of his running mate, a statement that came just hours after a devastating recording surfaced in which Donald Trump makes lewd comments about women

Pence’s statement did not address the Wisconsin event. But a source familiar with the plan confirmed to IndyStar that Pence no longer planned to attend.

Pence had been set to replace Trump at the GOP event, after U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, called off Trump’s appearance. Pence’s lieutenant governor and Republican candidate for Indiana governor Eric Holcomb also denounced Trump’s comments.

Trump, meanwhile, issued a statement apologizing “if anyone was offended.”

The recording of Trump on a hot mic prior to a soap opera appearance in 2005 was obtained by NBC News and the Washington Post.

“I'm automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything," Trump said. "Grab 'em by the (expletive)."

In his initial written response, Trump said Friday: “This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.”

Later in the day, Ryan released this statement:

“I am sickened by what I heard today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified. I hope Mr. Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests. In the meantime, he is no longer attending tomorrow’s event in Wisconsin.”

Other top Indiana Republicans declined to say whether they still support Trump, but they sharply denounced Trump’s decade-old comments.

“These are absolutely unacceptable thoughts and comments,” Holcomb said.

"I think Donald Trump's terrible comments were beyond offensive,” said U.S. Rep. Todd Young, the Republican candidate competing for Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat.

After Ryan canceled Trump's Wisconsin appearance, the GOP nominee announced a short time later that he would be "spending the day in New York in debate prep with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Jeff Sessions, and then flying to St. Louis on Sunday for the 2nd Presidential Debate."

The timing of the recording's release couldn’t be worse for Trump, who faces Democrat Hillary Clinton at 9 p.m. Sunday (EST) at Washington University in St. Louis for their second primetime debate with just a month before the Nov. 8 election.

Republicans were still assessing the damage from the recording late Friday. Some called on social media for Trump to step down. Others encouraged Pence to drop out in protest.

"Trump should step down immediately tonight, yielding to Governor Pence as the GOP Nominee," Rob Engstrom, national political director for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said on Twitter.

"Does anybody think that a Pence-Ryan ticket wouldn't do better than a Trump-Pence?" Stuart Stevens, a former adviser to 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said on Twitter.

"Mike Pence should be off the ticket by sunrise," John Weaver, a campaign strategist for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said on Twitter. "He already owns much of what has happened, surely he doesn't want to own this."

In reality though, switching up the ticket would be extremely difficult at this point. Early voting has already started in several states, including the key battleground states of Florida and North Carolina, according to the U.S. Election Project.

While the Republican Party does have a formal process for filling vacancies "by reason of death, declination, or otherwise," it's not clear that a resignation of candidacy would qualify. The party could change the rules, but that would be a lengthy process and virtually impossible to accomplish before the election, according to the Washington Post.

In a video response released early Saturday, Trump showed no interest in stepping aside and apologized again for his lewd comments from 2005.

"I said it, I was wrong and I apologize," Trump said, explaining that the people and experiences he's encountered on the campaign trail have changed him.

Trump added that he is not a perfect person and that his comments from more than a decade ago don't reflect who he is.

But he said there's a big difference between his words and the actions of the Clintons.

"Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims," Trump said.

He closed his videotaped comments by saying: "See you at the debate on Sunday."

While Pence has not addressed Trump's 2005 comments directly, he previously has dismissed the media’s scrutiny of other controversial Trump comments and tweets, saying he emerges stronger every time.

“He said that, he tweeted that,” Pence said last week during a campaign appearance in Fort Wayne. “They think they finally got him right where they want him, and they turn on the TV the next morning, and Donald Trump is still standing strong fighting for the American people.”

While some Republicans would rather see Pence as the presidential nominee, one political analyst doesn't envision Pence's association with Trump playing out well for him.

"You live by the sword, and you die by the sword – and Donald Trump is a heck of a sword,” said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

“I think it will hurt (Pence). The Republican Party is in horrible shape, horrible, and how they put the pieces back together with Humpty Dumpty fallen is beyond me. Pence thought he was well positioned for 2020. Look, he certainly will be in the mix, but obviously there will be anti-Trump candidates, probably plural, who will relive Pence’s pro-Trump fall. They are bound to.”