Pence gave a solid, smooth performance that heartened some wary conservatives. But there was a sense of cognitive dissonance as he delivered line after line that could have been applied to a hypothetical Mitt Romney candidacy, instead of his own running mate’s.

Pence broke with Trump on Russia, characterizing Vladimir Putin — whom Trump has repeatedly praised as a strong leader — as a “small and bullying leader.” He avoided directly defending some of Trump’s most controversial statements, instead focusing on Hillary Clinton and at times shaking his head when Tim Kaine recited things Trump has said, indicating that Trump hasn’t really said them. He talked at length about his belief in the anti-abortion cause. He spoke of cutting spending, reducing deficits, and preserving a soluble Social Security, causes that have defined small-government Republicans in recent years, but hardly animate Trump’s campaign…

His performance tonight impressed some anti-Trump conservatives who have still not endorsed Trump, including Erick Erickson, who tweeted, “I must retract my prior tweet from months ago about Pence being disqualified in 2020 by saying yes to Trump. He’s really redeemed himself.” But it’s unclear whether it will be enough to bring the last stragglers on board.

“Heck no,” Erickson told BuzzFeed News in an email when asked if Pence’s performance could change his view on Trump. “But it does make me think I can’t dismiss Pence outright for 2020.”