Decision 2016

So who will it be?

July 13, 2016 By Paul Gleiser

It is conventional wisdom in presidential campaigns that whomever the nominee picks as his or her running mate in the end has little real impact on the outcome of the election.

But this is anything but a conventional presidential campaign and Donald Trump is anything but a conventional nominee.

Thus in this week before the GOP convention in Cleveland, all eyes are on the two individuals that seem to be on Donald Trump’s short list for vice president.

Those individuals are former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich and Indiana governor Mike Pence.

If either of these gentlemen are picked, it will serve, for me at least, as the first official, formal keeping of a campaign promise by Donald Trump.

Last summer, as Trump was just starting his campaign, I heard one of the hosts on Fox & Friends ask him who he might pick as his running mate. Said Trump, ‘I would go political. I’d pick someone with experience in Washington working in the system.’

Both Gingrich and Pence fit that bill.

Gingrich is well-known. In 1994, he crafted the “Contract With America” that was instrumental in regaining Republican control of the House of Representatives for the first time in four decades. Gingrich is to the minds of many the consummate student of American politics. His academic credentials as a historian together with his razor-sharp articulateness make him extremely effective on the stump and formidable on a debate stage.

Gingrich supported John Kasich during the primaries but has been a full-throated supporter of Donald Trump since Trump tied up the nomination.

Gingrich is a fully-acknowledged conservative and would go a long way to mollify those in the GOP who fear that Trump’s conservative bona fides are lacking.

As for Mike Pence, the Indiana governor is also a steadfast conservative and, despite being up for re-election as governor, is apparently very open to the idea of being Trump’s running mate.

“I think we need strong leadership supporting our troops, strong leadership to get this economy moving again, and we need clear-minded leadership to make common-sense, conservative appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States,” said Pence in an interview on Monday.”I’m prepared to make that case anywhere across Indiana and anywhere across this country that Donald Trump would want me to.”

Pence served for 12 years in Congress, rising to the chairmanship of the House Republican Conference – the fourth-ranking House leadership position.

In terms of style, Mike Pence is the very opposite of Donald Trump. Where Trump is brash and bombastic, Pence is much more restrained – “Someone who takes a deep breath first and speaks second,” according to a former aide.

A couple of other names remain technically in consideration – including New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

But most think that it will be either Gingrich or Pence and that we’ll know before the weekend.

As to the impact or lack thereof concerning a presidential candidate’s VP pick, let us not forget the impact that Sarah Palin had on the ill-fated John McCain campaign.