Politico’s battleground state Republican insiders may have faced up to their party’s likely fate in November, but that doesn’t mean they’re acknowledging reality in all ways:
Nearly two-thirds of GOP insiders, 66 percent, said Pence would beat Clinton in their states. But only a 44-percent minority of GOP insiders say Trump would defeat Clinton in their state if the election were held today — fewer than the slightly more than half that picked Trump in recent weeks as he closed the gap with Clinton in the polls.
Guys. GUYS. Mike Pence was an incumbent governor in a red state who was facing a very tough battle for re-election. That should tell you something about how he’d be faring as a presidential nominee. If he’s now looking good on the national stage, it’s because nobody is really paying attention to him when Donald Trump is sucking up all the oxygen.
Shoot, in the vice presidential debate, Pence didn’t even get asked about the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” that would have allowed businesses to discriminate against LGBT people. It was kind of a big deal, and if he was on the top of the ticket, people would be talking about it. Like they’d be talking about his terrible, terrible record on women's health and reproductive choice. Pence has a ton of baggage. The fact that few people are noticing that right now is only because it’s sitting behind a mountain of very luxurious luggage stamped with TRUMP in bright gold letters.
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