Trump's VP, Mike Pence, introduced amid controversy

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By DAVID SKOLNICK

skolnick@vindy.com

CLEVELAND

The world – including the Mahoning Valley delegation to the Republican National Convention – were officially introduced to Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention.

They also heard U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who finished second in the GOP primary race, give one of the most controversial speeches at a convention in recent years.

The delegation praised the pick of Pence, though most were unfamiliar with him, except that he is governor of Indiana.

“I saw him on TV a couple of days ago, but I haven’t had time to check him out,” said John Creed of Liberty, an alternate delegate.

The delegation came away impressed with Pence, who delivered his vice presidential nominee acceptance speech to close Wednesday’s events.

“It is refreshing to hear Pence talking about stopping the status quo,” said Mahoning County Republican Party Vice Chairwoman Tracey Winbush of Youngstown, a delegate. “Americans want to go to work and want [the] opportunity to fulfill their dream, and the Trump-Pence [team] is promising

a new and opportunistic future.”

Mahoning County Republican Party Chairman Mark Munroe of Boardman, an RNC alternate delegate, said: “We saw [Wednesday night] that one of Trump’s greatest talents is surrounding himself with great talent. The selection of Pence as a running mate, a man with an engaging sense of humor and a soft-spoken but forceful leadership style, will serve the campaign well.

His strong conservative underpinnings will be well received by the American voter.”

Columbiana County Republican Party Chairman Dave Johnson of Salem, an RNC delegate, said after Pence’s speech that the VP nominee “hit it out of the park; the right message; tempered, principled.”

About an hour before Pence spoke, Cruz was booed during his speech.

Cruz, who feuded with Trump during the primaries, urged people Wednesday to “vote your conscience.” Not only didn’t Cruz endorse Trump, he only mentioned the nominee’s name one time during his speech and that was to congratulate the New York billionaire on his victory.

“Cruz gave a great speech, but there was obvious disappointment that he failed to vocally endorse Trump,” Munroe said. “I think it’s impressive that Trump had the confidence to allow Cruz the stage out of respect for the second-place campaign he ran. It shows the strong self-confidence that Trump has for himself.”

The Trump campaign obviously knew what Cruz would say, as convention officials provided the media with an advance copy of his speech, as well as everyone else’s, except Pence.

I was “disappointed Cruz didn’t have the courage to name Trump by name in his endorsement, as he pledged,” Johnson said.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich used part of his speech later in the evening to try to explain Cruz’s absent endorsement.

“With no requirement for endorsement, [Trump] encouraged his competitors to speak once again,” Gingrich said. “I think you misunderstood one paragraph that Ted Cruz, who is a superb orator, said. Ted Cruz said you can vote your conscience for anyone who will uphold the Constitution. In this election, there is only one candidate who will uphold the Constitution.”

As for Pence, Munroe said before Trump tapped the Indiana governor to be his running mate that he “was only casually acquainted with who he was. I can’t say I knew him well. My initial impressions are very positive.”

But since then, Munroe said, “I followed him closer. He studied under Newt Gingrich. Mike Pence is like a Newt Gingrich, who I admire for his intellect and his Republican approach, but maybe without Newt’s baggage, though he has had some issues.”

Of note, Munroe said, were some controversial TV commercials Pence ran years ago in a congressional race.

“He later disavowed them,” Munroe said. “In politics, you go through an evolutionary process and a change, I suppose. He’s done that.”

Winbush said all she initially knew about Pence is he was governor of Indiana.

Pence spent 12 years in the U.S. House before being elected governor in 2012. He’s giving up a second term to be Trump’s running mate.

After doing some research, Winbush said Pence is “an ultra-conservative.”

Winbush added: “Like me, he’s an evangelical conservative. I think that’s good. He’s very compassionate. Evangelical conservatives have a belief system. We don’t insult people. I’m supposed to be here to love you and assist you and lift you up and help you become a better person.”

Pence is “conservative, stable, steady, and is not extreme,” Johnson said.

“He has a lot of experience with success in Congress and is one of the most successful governors in the nation. And he’s from the Midwest, which is important in a presidential election.”

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who has met Pence a few times, said he’s “a conservative Midwest governor. He represents a lot of Midwest values. He’s going to be attractive to the most conservative side of our party that is hesitant about Donald Trump.”

“Pence is someone who is reserved and is a solid conservative who can help Trump,” Johnson said.

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, who served two years in the House with Pence, said. “I used to talk to him all the time before he left to be governor of Indiana. He’s very calm, very thoughtful, pragmatic in his approach, really capable of thinking through things.”

Johnson, whose district includes southern Mahoning County and all of Columbiana County, said Pence will “do a great job as vice president. Mr. Trump says he needs help dealing with the legislative branch. [Pence] knows how to deal with the House and Senate.”

Clinton’s campaign in an email called Pence’s record “extreme and divisive.” The campaign said Pence wanted to privatize Social Security and Medicare, voted against increasing the minimum wage and supported “extreme tax cuts for the wealthy.”