What Mike Pence Brings to the Republican Ticket

Mike Pence brings boredom to the ticket, and that in itself is not bad thing, while adding a seriousness of a candidate who has both legislative and executive experience. With a candidate on the top of the ticket who is not very much trusted nor well-liked, this leaves in the voter mind that at least one member of the GOP ticket can be trusted with the oval office. Pence's own career began as an outsider who proved that even with opposing the establishment, he could be the happy warrior who focused his disagreement on policy and did not engage in personal attacks, while opposing efforts to expand government during a Republican administration.

Pence is also an evangelical Christian with ties to the social conservatives which will help to add support among this group who will be important in an election that getting out to your base will prove to important; having this group fired up could be the difference of winning or losing. Over the years he has also supported tax reform and opposed out of control spending.

On the issues of taxes and spending, he will be in line with Trump’s goals and Speaker of the House Ryan’s objectives; and while he supported the Iraq war, he voted against Obama's Libya policies, viewing them unconstitutional. Pence may be able to defend and explain Trump’s America’s “first foreign policy” better than Trump. While he is a free trader, he will support Trump’s trade policies simply because that is what Vice Presidents do, they suppress their views to match the man on top of the ticket.

The one area that Pence will be in total agreement with Trump is immigration, including Trump’s support for a touchback provision for illegals in which illegals will leave the country only to be allowed if they pass a background check. This has been called amnesty and many have doubted its practicality, but it is also the position of Trump. I have made this point throughout the election, a Trump immigration reform will leave the same number of immigrants in the country after the reform is finished as other immigration reforms, including their Democrat opponents.

Combined with border security being taken seriously, this proposal can made dents into the Hispanic communities if the benefits to them are explained properly. This has the potential of putting states like Nevada and Colorado in play if Trump can garner 35% of Hispanic voters. The key in going after minority voters is to take just enough to add to your vote total.

The Democratic Party strategy includes reducing Trump's numbers among white voters by going after suburban females who may be turned off by what they perceive as sexist behavior by Trump. In one poll conducted, Trump is running 15 points behind Romney among single white females, and this will significantly reduce Trump’s number among white voters, and if Trump doesn’t get 60% of White voters, he loses. If he gets to 55% of white voters, then we are talking a Clinton romp.

If Trump and Pence are able to garner just enough minority votes, this could cancel out the Democratic strategy of going after white female voters. Depending among which polls you view, Trump is either running in McCain/Romney territory among black voters or he is running close to what Nixon and Ford did in the 1970’s. If he does the latter, we are looking at 15 to 20% of black voters, a significant dent and a recent LA Times poll showed that Trump is at 30% of Hispanic voters!

For many Hispanics, their key concern on immigration reform is whether those here illegally will get legal status, but there are enough Hispanics who can live with legal status that don’t include citizenship nor will Hispanics oppose border security, reduction of future immigration status, or any steps that promotes assimilation.

The Pence nomination opens up options for a Trump candidacy to reach out to minorities, and in the process, win the election.