Mike Pence Thinks He Can Win The Election. MAGA Voters Will Never Support Him – Mike Pence continues to battle hard in his election campaign, using his free time to rally supporters seeking an alternative to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
His message is yet to resonate with Republican voters.
Shouting from the sidelines – something he may have to do quite literally at next week’s Republican debate in Milwaukee, where candidates are lined up in order of polling averages – is yet to attract supporters despite his repeated criticism of former president Trump.
Barring a sudden change in charisma and policy, Pence could be in for a disappointing 2024.
He trails his once superior by nearly 50 percentage points; for contrast, the largest deficit overcome by a candidate in modern history is Obama’s 29-point recovery against Hillary Clinton in 2008.
If Pence is to win the nomination, he must build momentum for his campaign through a promising start to the primaries.
A surprise result may increase his popularity, particularly if other candidates urge their supporters to back Pence over Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Iowa, Iowa, Iowa for Mike Pence
As in previous electoral cycles, Iowa will be the first presidential primary for the Republican party.
It’s a crucial test for all candidates and provides a good idea of their performance.
A strong, surprising result can be a springboard for candidates with low polling numbers; alternatively, it could also mark the beginning of the end for any overly optimistic campaign.
Despite its importance, in elections where the Republicans were looking to retake control of the White House, only George W. Bush and Bob Dole went on to become the party’s nominee since 1976.
While it can build momentum, whoever wins Iowa is far from the guaranteed nominee – something Pence is looking to capitalize on.
The former vice president has made multiple high-profile visits to the state since launching his campaign. In July, Pence suffered a damaging interview over his support for arming and funding Ukraine when challenged by Tucker Carlson. His support for the country – noticeably different from Trump’s pledges to end the Russian invasion within 24 hours – was met with audible boos from the conservative audience.
The Carlson interview was brought up by attendees to the recent Iowa State Fair – akin to the social media trolling Pence suffers from Trump loyalists whenever a public mishap occurs. Although many Republicans do at least understand Pence’s ambitions, they simply don’t agree with them. Pence is not unpopular with Republicans; he just isn’t popular.
Pence told the Washington Post that January 6 will not be at the forefront of voters’ minds, insisting “elections are about the future.” A valid argument, but it will be hard for someone running on an “anyone but Trump” ticket to avoid scrutiny given his relative silence on his former superior until after the Capitol riots.
While Mike Pence believes he can win the presidential election, he has a lot of work still to do to encourage voters to believe the same.
MAGA does not seem like it will be easily swayed away from Donald Trump, as many such voters are angry he did not do more to help the former president content the 2020 election. And that could very well mean the end of his presidential hopes – for good.
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
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