Pence Drops Out

Former vice-president Mike Pence recently announced that he has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. The announcement by the former vice president appears to have caught some veteran campaign watchers by surprise, as the former candidate was preparing for the third Republican presidential debate. Pence like all of his fellow contenders was light-years behind current front-runner Donald Trump, perhaps saw the handwriting on the wall and “gracefully” bowed out of the race. While Pence never gained any traction trailing behind Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, he didn’t really stand out among the crowd even though as a former vice president, he was just “a heartbeat” away from being one of the most powerful men on Earth. He was one-half of one of the most popular presidential teams in modern American history, as he was a loyal soldier to Donald Trump. During the four years as Trump’s next in line, Pence toed the line as a true conservative, never saying anything negative about Trump no matter how many times in the minds of many, degraded the office of the presidency. After Trump and Pence lost a second bid to now-President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Pence decided to run against his old boss in an effort to sit in the Oval Office believing that his “time had come.” Even before the campaigning began, Pence and others running against Trump knew it would be an uphill struggle to wrest the nomination from him. Trump led in polls even before he announced that he was running and has led ever since the campaigning officially started. While Pence had appeared at debate events sponsored by Republican groups, Trump decided early on that since he was leading by overwhelming margins in the polls, it made no sense for him to debate his opponents. Pence didn’t call the former president out on that, perhaps believing that the vice president’s office behind him and his four years in the White House would help him stand above the rest of the crowded field. It didn’t work.

Another reason many are giving for Pence dropping out was a serious lack of campaign contributions. Pence was said to have had just over a million dollars on hand and over $600,000 in debt. Nowhere near enough to sustain a national campaign with a full-time staff to run it. Pence also was in danger of not being able to participate in the next debate because he did not meet the polling threshold set forth by the debate committees. What is so surprising about Pence’s fall, is that he is as conservative as they come, a “man of faith” and “tested” leader (governor, vice president), yet he is not the individual that conservatives want in the White House. As of now, they want Donald Trump. This includes the overwhelming majority of Republicans in Congress and statehouses across the nation. The new speaker of the House is a loyal Trump supporter who voted to decertify the 2020 presidential election. Nonetheless, he says that his “worldviews” are “led’ by the Bible. If Trump comes calling, he will answer. Pence as a viable presidential contender is not on the Speaker’s radar or on the radar of other conservatives in Washington judging by the lack of enthusiasm for someone who is vastly different from Trump if only in his religious views. One would think that a “God-fearing” man like Mike Johnson who relies on the Bible would readily support someone like Mike Pence who said in his campaign suspension speech that “unto heaven there is a time and season for things”, signifying that “it wasn’t his time to run”. However, he didn’t say that BEFORE(the “time” thing”) he announced his decision to run. At least we know where Trump stands when it comes to relying on scripture. He never quotes any scripture when addressing his supporters. Pence being the true conservative that he is, said that he will never give up his conservative “values”. He may soon face a values test, as Trump reportedly is asking for his endorsement. Will Pence forgive Trump for all the harsh things he has said about him and endorse him? Or will he forgive Trump and NOT endorse him? Which “principles/values” will Pence stand behind as a conservative? We shall find out. Remember, the world is watching. So is God.