Do We Want Mike Pence?

Summary

The article reflects on the contrasting campaign styles of Donald Trump and Mike Pence amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the implications of Trump's potential inability to serve, and the potential impact of mail-in voting in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Abstract

The article "Do We Want Mike Pence?" discusses the stark differences between President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the context of the 2020 U.S. presidential election campaign. While Trump has continued an aggressive and polarizing campaign despite his own COVID-19 diagnosis, Pence has remained in the background, presenting a more calm and collected demeanor. The article notes the possibility of Trump being incapacitated by the virus, which would elevate Pence to the presidency. Pence's performance in the vice presidential debate is highlighted as competent, though he echoed Trump's refusal to commit to accepting the election results. The article also touches on the concerns surrounding the election process, including the manipulation of districting and ballot counting, and the significant role of mail-in voting, which is expected to favor Democratic voters and could be a decisive factor in the election's outcome.

Opinions

The author suggests that Trump's belligerent campaign style contrasts sharply with Pence's more subdued approach.
Pence's debate performance is portrayed as a welcome change from Trump's aggressive behavior, though he still upheld the administration's controversial stances.
The article implies that the Trump administration's actions, including the potential undermining of election integrity, should be concerning to the public.
Kamala Harris is depicted as having performed effectively in the debate by focusing on the Trump administration's record.
The author indicates that despite Pence's debate performance, the election remains a referendum on Trump, with Biden leading in the polls.
The piece expresses concern over the reliability of mail-in voting, citing instances of incorrect ballots being sent out, which could affect the election's outcome.

Do We Want Mike Pence?

Discharged from the hospital on a drug cocktail, Trump has resumed his belligerent, negative, polarizing campaign. At this stage, he is presumably contagious. The virus is spreading among the Republican power elite. Herman Cain has already died of it. And Hope Hicks, Kellyanne Conway, Chris Christie, Thom Tillis, and Melania Trump have tested positive. It is also possible that relapse of COVID will kill Trump, placing Pence at the helm.

Pence is a study in contrasts, compared to Trump. Rather than monopolizing the airwaves, he has remained in the background, scarcely meriting notice. And he seems to have evaded COVID, at least for now. The vice presidential debate was a chance for the public to become acquainted with him. Pence was a good debater in an unwinnable debate, almost succeeding in defending this indefensible administration. He did about as well as he could. It was also a bit easier for him because he wasn’t the main target, and his calmness and relative civility were a welcome contrast to Trump’s belligerence. Pence was so imperturbable, he was not even perturbed by the fly that landed on his head.

Quietly, peacefully, and calmly, Pence refused to unconditionally accept the outcome of the upcoming election, as Trump had done more loudly and aggressively in the earlier debate. It revealed how far our country had slid, that this only warranted a few mentions. Perhaps Pence lacked Trump’s power to incite, but the districting, voter registration and ballot counting being quietly manipulated is no cause for calm.

Kamala Harris could have done this thing here or that thing there. But ultimately, she did her job — brought up the facts and kept the focus on the Trump administration. Neither side was the dumpster fire of Trump during the presidential debate — Trump’s line “Stand back and stand by” in the first debate, giving white supremacists an order rather than a condemnation, has proven unforgettable — but Kamala came off as qualified, competent, and ready to assist Biden and assume the presidency if needed.

Despite the Trump campaign’s attacks on Biden, the election has remained a referendum on Trump, his record, and his response to the COVID pandemic. The vice presidential debate continued the pattern. Pence’s performance during the debate may have stemmed Biden’s surge in the polls, but did not change much of the picture on the ground. While Trump has his enthusiastic followers, he also has his staunch detractors. According to FiveThirtyEight, Biden is currently leading by double digits in the polls. Ultimately, the election is likely to be decided by the energy of Trump’s and Biden’s respective bases, in the swing states.

This year, one of the biggest wildcards is a large number of mail-in ballots. Many voters are fearful of getting COVID by coming to the polls in person, and so many are voting absentee. Compared to in-person voters, mail-in voters are more likely to be Democrat. Many will have voted before Election Day, rendering the very last news cycles less relevant. In some cases, incorrect mail-in ballots have been sent. My own mail-in ballot, like 100,000 others in my New York City borough, was sent with the wrong return envelope, and we needed to call in about getting new ballots in order to vote. During the presidential debate, Biden repeatedly reminded his supporters to vote. In a few weeks, we will find out if that is enough.