It’s rather bewildering to try to understand just what it was that made Trump pick Mike Pence, but if he thought he was going to solidify the Evangelical vote, he’s got some bad news coming.
From Politico:
“The reason why conservatives are not going to be moved that much by this choice is because Mike Pence, when he had an opportunity to stand up for religious liberty, to mark himself in history, he didn’t do that,” said South Carolina-based Pastor Mike Gonzalez, who led evangelical outreach for Cruz in the state. He went on to add, “I’d never thought that of Mike, but when it came down to it, he crumbled under pressure. That, for many evangelical conservatives, has been something that is a red flag.”
In an interview in POLITICO’s Playbook earlier this week, conservative Iowa radio host Steve Deace, who helped Cruz win that state on the strength of support from the evangelical community, went a step further, declaring of Pence’s actions, “It was the worst we’ve ever been stabbed in the back by a Republican. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen.”
And conservative radio host Erick Erickson wrote this week, “Christian evangelicals, in particular, were disheartened that Pence threw them under the bus. The irony is that, as Trump’s vice presidential pick, some of those evangelicals most critical of Pence at the time will now come out and say how awesome he is. But during that fight there was real bitterness in the evangelical community that Pence clearly did not have the courage of his convictions.”
Here’s what he did that got so many conservatives angry:
In the eyes of its supporters, Pence’s initial RFRA measure was meant to protect individuals from government mandates that could encroach on their free expression of religion. He tapped into an issue that resonated deeply with a religious community that feels that that right is under assault in an era of contraception mandates and wide and growing acceptance of same-sex marriage.
But the bill immediately sparked broad and vocal opposition from business leaders and the LGBT community amid concerns that the measure would allow businesses to discriminate against gay individuals.
Under pressure, and following a disastrous interview on ABC in which Pence struggled to answer questions about whether the bill was discriminatory, he agreed to a legislative fix that made clear that businesses couldn’t discriminate against people on the basis of, among other things, sexual orientation. But that, in turn, enraged social conservatives who felt that the protections they wanted were gone again.
On the other hand, it was Evangelicals who failed to show up at the polls to help Ted Cruz oppose Trump. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they put party over principles yet again. But I WOULD be disappointed…