Mike Pence's political career depends on Trump: "They were like Batman and Robin"

Mike Pence's political career depends on Trump: "They were like Batman and Robin"

At the same time, it seems that the political destiny of Michael Pence, the current vice president, will be determined.

Mike Pence - The end of a political career?

As if Donald Trump's presidential mandate was not a shock enough for a good part of American society, so with his victory, the United States of America got one of the most conservative vice presidents in recent history - Mike Pence.

Pence crossed a "long and thorny road" to reach Washington. Politically very ambitious, long-time radio host, congressman, governor of the federal state of Indiana, and finally, since 2017, vice president of the United States in the Trump administration. His political career was marked by several failures, but also by persistence, which brought him to where he is.

Nikola Milinković from the portal Americki-izbori.rs reminds B92.net that Pence was elected as Trump's vice president because he was a reliable, experienced conservative and Republican, while there were still doubts about Trump within the party. "Pence is very calm and composed and sometimes represents a good counterweight to Trump, who often thinks and speaks quickly, and sometimes carelessly," says Milinković.

Dr Neven Cvetićanin, president of the Strategic Studies Forum of the Institute of Social Sciences, sees Pence as a politician who is not a revolutionary, but a completely conservative and persistent type from the background, who respects all the conventions of conservative American politics.

"Therefore, he respects the convention that the current vice president does not run against the current president, but to try to serve him for eight years, as Biden Obama and Bush Sr. served Ronald Reagan, and then eventually run. It is customary for the vice president to wait for another. "I think that these are the reasons why Pence did not run for office," Cveticanin told B92.net when asked about the reasons why Pence did not run for president.

In addition to Pence having some standard vice presidential duties, Milinkovic says he certainly had the most important task this year in leading the White House response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the administration was praised by governors from both parties for responding to the virus by providing protective equipment, tests and respirators.

However, Cvetićanin believes that Pence can become a presidential candidate only in an extreme situation.

By the way, the media, especially at the beginning of the mandate of the Trump administration, saw Pence as a future candidate in the next presidential elections. In the years behind us, the name of Mike Pence has emerged as the logical successor in 2020 or 2024, depending on Trump's fate.

It is possible that we will see Pence as a candidate in 2024, says Milinković. "But that will largely depend on the results of this year's elections, but also on the reputation that Trump and his administration will maintain in the event of defeat," our interlocutor estimates.

"They were Batman and Robin"

Is Pence really Trump's man of trust?

"Mike Pence and Donald Trump performed in public as Batman and Robin. That is perhaps the best metaphor for the two of them. They were never a discordant presidential-vice-presidential couple," said Dr Neven Cvetićanin.

According to Milinković, it seems that Pence is very loyal to Trump, and that is something that the current American president extremely appreciates.

"Trump generally likes to be in the center of attention and Pence doesn't stand in his way in that sense, and yet he does a significant job that Trump is not able to do. Trump has never publicly criticized him and it doesn't seem that he was close to saying famously 'You're fired!' that he liked to do in his career before politics, and also during his mandate with many other members of his administration who did not last long in their positions", Milinković underlines.

Cveticanin says that, according to some views, Pence is even more conservative than Trump, when he considers him a "conservative out of necessity".

"Trump is a native of New York, he is a conservative out of necessity, because he started the story, while Mike Pence is a serious conservative by conviction. He was born in Indiana. He nurtures those conservative values ​​very much. He enters into a debate with Democrats. His position in relation to them is ideological. "The question is how Pence would be willing to compromise with the Democrats, if necessary," he said.

He believes that Pence's character structure goes along with Trump, who, as he says, probably had in mind all his characteristics when he was elected.

"Pence is a conventional man, who points out in the first place that he is first a Christian, and then everything else, including an American. A contrite and patient man, who does not come to the fore. He served only one term in Congress and then went on to be governor of Indiana. He had no experience in high politics, like Biden, who has been a senator for 30 years. Probably when Trump was choosing, he chose someone by character who could replace his vivid personality - precisely by his modesty, conventionality, standing aloof in the background", Cvetićanin concludes.

By the way, it seems that Pence will be remembered as one of the key figures in Washington due to his "rigid" and consistent character. The complete opposite of Donald Trump, the hero of ultra-conservative Christians, as the French Press once characterized him.

The coming months, and maybe even days, will answer the question about the continuation of Mike Pence's career.