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Presidential hopeful Mike Pence has spent a lot of time on the campaign trail defending his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, the day he certified President Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. The topic came up again on a recent campaign stop in Iowa, when the former vice president encountered yet another angry voter who blamed him for Trump’s defeat.
Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben Navarrette took notice of Pence’s bold response to his accuser, which made him wonder if the Mike Pence he had interviewed years ago—a young politician whom he believed had integrity—has finally returned.
When Pence was named number two, for he who shall not be named, in July 2016–well, the darkness swallowed him whole. Pence stayed in that dark space, quietly going along with every harebrained and half-baked scheme proposed by the administration he helped lead to impose tariffs, limit immigration, cut taxes and curtail freedom.
In fact, there were times when I thought Pence would stay in that hole forever. And honestly, I was starting to see an earlier version of the man, the one that served in Congress in the early 2000s, disappear behind a fog of ambition and insincerity.
Now, it looks like he’s back. It may not be soon enough to save his floundering presidential campaign. He’s way down in the polls, and he hasn’t raised much money. In fact, it’s very likely that he’ll lose this race and return to private life in Indiana.
Along the way, he may have found something more valuable: his integrity.
Welcome back, Mr. Vice President.
