I drove over to Carson City yesterday to ask Mike Pence a question, and saw an accomplished political pro at work. Not one misstep, hitting every line, and exuding competence and sincerity. But nobody was there to see Pence. It was a Trump crowd, and he was there for Trump.
A Democratic activist (I assume) with a soldier son was booed when she attacked Trump’s statements about the Khan family. Pence handled it masterfully, shooshing the crowd and defending her right to speak. He spoke of Captain Khan as an American hero, who advanced toward danger, rather than let someone else take the risk, and went on to talk about Trump’s commitment to the military and to vets. This is what a potential President looks, speaks, and acts like.
Donald the Raging Bull charges wildly at every red flag the media/Democrats wave at him, regardless of the consequences. His recklessness would be disqualifying if he wasn’t running against an incompetent criminal. The only thing that can save his campaign is Clinton herself, combined with Islamist and anti-police violence. A race to the bottom is underway, which may continue for the next three, long months. Let’s all hope Bismarck was right about the special place America holds in the Lord’s heart.
I’ve been looking at Trump’s family background, trying to figure out where his tremendous sense of insecurity comes from. His older brother, and father’s namesake, died of alcoholism at a fairly young age. He was probably the apple of his father’s eye, and Donald may have been trying to replace him in the eyes of his father his entire adult life. But maybe the key is his mother, who came to America from one of the remote islands of Scotland to work as a domestic, and wound up working for the Trumps. I imagine her as a loving wife and mother, married to a man not a little unlike his son Donald. Perhaps her humble background accounts for his combativeness, and part of his insecurity.
It makes sense to me, and I find it comforting. Trump is a weird guy, and it make me feel better if I think I’ve got the source of his strangeness identified. It could be a lot worse. Like Nixon, and we survived him.
When I got the mike I told Pence that I’d seen him at an ALEC meeting a few years ago, and how he talked about Article V, and the Balanced Budget Amendment, and federalism. I told him we had 28 states now, thanks in part to the leadership of his own Sen. Long. “One of them’s Indiana!” he said proudly. I asked if we could count on his continued support, and if he’d had the opportunity to discuss this with Mr. Trump. (For those of you who know me personally, you would have been shocked at my mild manner, and soft voice.)
He gave me a great response, and we should try to hold him to it. But he really didn’t mention Article V in his answer, and he hasn’t talked to Trump about it. I certainly didn’t expect that he would have. But I was planting the seed, and if Trump wins, and we get to 30, 31, 32, we’ll have a champion in the Vice President. I think he could bring Trump around pretty easily. The politics of it is good, which Trump would like.
In order to get access to the mike, I chatted up the woman from the Carson County Republican Party who controlled it. A very nice, conventional Republican woman. I talked to her about the Transfer of Public Lands, and a guy with her said Trump lost Elko County, the only county in Nevada he lost, on that issue. The fact that everybody in the Republican Party of Nevada is aware of this is very encouraging. It convinces me more than ever that Trump gets it.
Which gets me back to the Pence town hall. He’s working off 4 by 6 note cards, and is extremely well prepared. In a rhetorical flourish, delivered with great emphasis, as if to draw applause, he says, “Trump gets it!” The crowd cheers and applauds, and I’m thinking where have I just heard that phrase? (see below)
I wound up talking to a couple Italian-American cousins from New Jersey. They’ve recently moved here, and told me Trump will take New Jersey, because everybody there hates Hillary. One’s a retiree, and he hates Christie for messing with his pension. The other one said he’d gotten a chance to talk personally to Trump, who opened up his coat to show him a concealed .357. He said Trump told him, “They may get me, but I’m taking some down with me.”
I guess I should go to New Jersey some time, though I don’t really know why.
reaganproject.com 