Why Mike Pence Makes Us Go 'Meh'

In Silicon Valley, it’s a basic truism that picking a co-founder is perhaps the most important thing you can do (and the easiest to get wrong, hence so many failed partnerships).

In politics, picking a vice president is even more so given, you know, this person could become .

Still, the two processes share some important commonalities. As the Republican National Convention is in full swing, let’s consider how Trump did with his pick of Indiana governor Mike Pence, when measured against a Silicon Valley yardstick.

Does this person bring something vital to the table that’s missing? Yes and no. If Donald Trump wanted to reassure the Republican Party he was capable of choosing someone respected by the establishment, then well done. If he wanted to lock up a specific voter bloc, then he’s given the Christian right something to cheer about (though that point would be moot as recent polls say the evangelical vote is going his way, to no one’s real surprise).

However, if he wanted to make a dent in Clinton’s numbers by going after a different demographic, then white, male and cornfed wasn’t the way to go. But maybe that was the point: Trump’s doing well with the white, working-class, male population and Pence certainly doesn’t detract from that appeal. Then again, Pence isn’t the governor of a swing state, which might have been useful; it’s fairly clear at this point that Indiana is Trump territory.

Are their views compatible? Maybe. It’s impossible to say if Donald Trump really believes what he’s publicly espoused or if he’s opportunistically tapping the vein of economic and racial resentments until it runs dry. And as others have noted, he has downplayed the cultural hot-button issues that Pence has taken a much firmer and unapologetic stance on - including abortion and gay rights. However, those who lean right but were uncertain about the strength of Trump’s commitment to conservatism could definitely take this as a clear and positive signal (at least on its surface).

Is there chemistry? It’s early to tell but initial reports seem to indicate meh, probably not or - more accurately - perhaps not yet. Reports from sources well placed within the campaign indicate that Trump was not sold on Pence as late as last Thursday. They’ve only actually met and spent time together on just a few occasions. That’s not ideal for a major business partnership. It would seem that getting to know each other on the fly would be even less optimal for such a storied office. And one wonders what a staunchly evangelical Christian makes of the thrice-married, self-styled mogul in his heart of hearts (but perhaps the prospect of someday becoming president makes that bitter pill easier to swallow).

Is he a leader? Yes. Though Pence’s record of meaningful achievement is unremarkable, he knows much more about the minutiae and administration of governance than Trump does (not that this bar is particularly high to clear, given Trump has never held public office). In that sense, Pence was a relatively solid choice, a domain expert capable of bringing insider knowledge of the system and how to maneuver within it. 

On the balance, it’s a toss-up if the Trump/Pence dynamic will be a workable one. Bland, milquetoast Pence is not about to light the world on fire with his personality - but Donald Trump truly has enough for both of them (and us).