Former Vice President Mike Pence, 63, showed why he’s not a viable presidential candidate, incapable of winning a general election no matter how bad things get with 80-year-old President Joe Biden. Pence was picked in 2016 by former President Donald Trump to pander-and-capture the evangelical vote, something that helped Trump win the presidency in 2016. Like the 10% Black vote that overwhelmingly goes Democrat, the evangelical vote accounts for about the same percentage in the general election. No GOP candidate can count on pro-life evangelicals to carry either the primaries or the general election. Several 2024 candidates, including Pence and 72-year-old former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, are willing to sign a national federal ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Even preferred candidate 44-year-old Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban in Florida.
Unlike Pence and other possible 2024 presidential candidates, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley or New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, DeSantis is he only candidate capable in the general election of winning the youth vote. Whatever DeSanti’s views on controversial topics like abortion, immigration or Democrat socialism, he presents the best match-up with Biden, largely because voters get to see a fraile, aged candidate in Biden, someone, at age 82, will give a large segment of independents reason to pause. Democrats have ignored recent polling, from many different sources, that voters would prefer another Democrat candidate to Biden, precisely because of his age. Biden thinks he can pretend to be vigorous, often tripping or falling on his face, a clear sign of physical frailty. But the real issue for Biden is abysmal decision-making.
Biden may not make any presidential decisions without backdoor coaching by his 71-year-old wife, Jill Biden or his 77-year-old sister Valerie Biden Owens. However decisions are made, Biden has damaged U.S. national security to the point that the country faces the growing prospects of a two-front war, one in Russia and the other in China. DeSantis is the only candidate, other that Trump, willing to take on war hawks in Congress led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pushing for war with Russia and China. Graham admitted recently that he has no problems with Biden sending troops to defend Taiwan. Imagine that, a U.S. president has gotten his country into a two-front war with Russia and China. When 44-year-old President Emmanuel Macron said France and EU would not follow Biden, he wasn’t kidding. How could any EU country follow Biden into war with Russia and China?
DeSantis may have taken controversial positions on abortion, immigration reform and the deadly novel coronavirus but he’s on the right side of the war-and-peace issue. Democrats and the press spent years demonizing Trump for his pragmatic relations with Russia, China and North Korea. Instead of applauding Trump’s cooperative relations, Democrats and the press demonized Trump as having nefarious relations with dictators. Well, Biden’s abysmal relations with U.S. adversaries have pushed the world to the brink on WW III. No one in the media questions what has happened over the last two years under Biden’s rule. If Biden’s given another four years, the U.S. could find itself isolated fighting two wars, sending U.S. troops to fight in Ukraine and China. No one in the mainstream press questions Biden’s deteriorated judgment. Biden would be vulnerable in 2024 contrasted with a young, vigorous candidate.
When it comes to candidates like Pence pandering to evangelicals, it’s out-of-step with the vast majority of mainstream voters. Voters demonstrated in the 2020 midterms that the Supreme Court ending Roe v. Wade handed Democrats an electoral advantage. Democrats hope to ride the end of Roe v. Wade and, more recently, the North Texas judge’s ruling to ban Mifepristone, the morning after pill. “Id like to see this medication off the market to protect the unborn,” Pence said yesterday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “I have deep concerns about the way the [Food and Drug Administration [FDA] went about approving mifepristone 20 years ago,” Pence said, demonstrating the kind of ignorance that hams the Republican Party. It’s not up to Pence to question the FDA’s scientific judgment. Pence show exactly why he’s not fit for national office, mirroring pro-life fanatics.
Instead to Pence talking about real life-or-death issues like the Ukraine War or possible war with China, he narrowly focuses on the abortion issue to pander to evangelicals. “I’m grateful that action is being taken in the courts to hold the FDA accountable to what the law requires,” Pence said. “So for the sake of protecting the unborn but also the health and safety of women, I’m looking forward to this litigation continuing. Pence didn’t notice that the conservative U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay of Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s April 7 ruling banning mifepreistone. Pence is too dense of see a 7-2 Supreme Court ruling as backing the FDA’s judgment. “I’m pro-life and I don’t apologize for it,” Pence said, showing he comfortable talking only about the fanatical fringe of the Republican Party. Democrats have set up the GOP to take advantage of the abortion issue.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
