What are former Vice President Mike Pence’s chances to win the Republican nomination for president in 2024?
Answer: At this moment, little or none.
Much can change between now and when the next presidential election so he should still be in the conversation due to his mainstream name recognition and overall experience. However, he’ll be a long shot at best should he pursue the presidency in 2024.
Trump and DeSantis supporters comprise over 80 percent of the Republican Party and many of them see Pence as a sellout for a) not aggressively pushing the false election fraud narrative, b) certifying the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election and c) not boycotting Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Ever since the former president, in his waning days in office, criticized and ridiculed Pence for not ignoring the U.S. Constitution and American law in general, MAGA fans have torched the latter on social media and at public gatherings.
In fact, some insist the ultra-conservative former vice president is collaborating with Democrats as part of the so-called “Deep State.”
Unbelievable.
And while it was reported Trump and Pence made peace with each other after the election, bad blood between the two remains.
So, could Pence win the Republican nomination?
Let’s not forget that Pence is no darling of Republican moderates let alone right-leaning independents. While many, including Democrats, give him credit for putting the country (as well as morals and laws) ahead of his party after the 2020 Election, most wouldn’t dare consider voting for him.
The only solid demographic that would solidly support him at this moment is “Never Trumper” Conservatives. And they are, of course, far outnumbered by Republicans, including most Evangelicals, who worship The Don as a deity of sorts.
Mike Pence, aside from some of his antiquated views on gays (something he badly needs to work on), would put forth an honest effort as a president for all Americans. And that’s exactly why the MAGA faction of the GOP would reject him.
Personality-wise, he’s soft-spoken and humble and doesn’t possess the anger or virulence Republican voters today seem to be seeking. And that, alone, would be the nail in his coffin.
Albeit narrow-minded, he is a sincere politician who would try to meet liberals halfway. He’s cut from a different cloth than Trump, DeSantis, Greene, Boebert, and other venomous MAGA types.
For the above reasons, Mike Pence would face more than an uphill battle should he try to win his party’s nomination for president in 2024.
… But, is Mike Pence’s legacy already secured in some ways? Some insist Pence’s actions as his country’s vice president on January 2021 may forever cement his legacy.
“It was really only Mike Pence refusing to play ball with the president he had served in such an obsequious way for four years and the valor of the officers who stood in between the Members of Congress and the mob and the insurrectionists that saved us that day…. And that’s as close to fascism as I ever wanna see America come.”
U.S. Rep. Jaime Raskin, (D-MD) via MSNBC
If American democracy survives another 100 years, Mike Pence will likely be a revered figure in the annals of American history. Had he cooperated with Trump, the country might have had a constitutional crisis on its hands.
N.B: This article is NOT an endorsement of Pence. The objective is to highlight why he has no chance to win the Republican Primary today just as Ronald Reagan wouldn’t. It’s a different party – and certainly not for the better.
