It’s more difficult to figure out what would be in it for Pence. Several of the governor’s confidants spoke on the condition of anonymity, agreeing to shed light on what could be the most significant decision of his political career. In many cases, they asked not to be quoted directly. Their accounts paint a portrait of a devoutly religious man paying close attention to how he can best serve the country, but also of a battered governor who believes a spot on the national ticket could simultaneously lift him out of a tough reelection campaign in Indiana and make him a top prospect for the Republican nomination in 2020 or 2024…
Pence’s allies say he was deeply shaken by the backlash to his decision last March to sign the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law, which cast a pall over his administration. He did so in the face of fierce opposition from Indiana’s business community, led by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Pence had campaigned for governor on a platform that highlighted jobs and education. A lengthy Indianapolis Monthly profile published shortly before he was sworn in as governor detailed how he intentionally downplayed his record as an outspoken social conservative while campaigning for governor; the passage of the RFRA allowed Pence’s adversaries to portray him as the Bible-thumper they had always claimed he was…
The governor’s allies say universally that he views his budding relationship with Trump through the lens of a call to service. “He’ll approach it as, where does he feel called to serve?” says one longtime Pence friend. And he believes his knowledge of and reverence for the Constitution, as well as of the inner-workings of Capitol Hill, can supplement Trump’s obvious shortcomings. “I think he would view this as an opportunity . . . basically to add value by saying, ‘This is what the president does and doesn’t do, and here’s what you need to do to move a bill in Congress.’”
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