Mike Pence, sadly, has no chance at securing the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. At least, as things stand now. Such is the stranglehold populist Trumpists will likely have on the primary process. Pity. For Pence is perhaps the best Republican leader to come along for quite awhile.

He could have played to the slobbering crowd on J6 and pulled some sort of hijinks in regards to the Electoral College count. But he put country and duty above cheap political gain and did the job assigned to him by the Constitution.

Writer John Wesley Reid puts it thus, “The political naivety behind calling Pence a ‘traitor’ or ‘abandoning’ the GOP is embarrassing, especially when it’s from people who should know better. When conservatives allow Jan 6 to divide us, I can only imagine liberals celebrating.

The VP’s role of presiding over the electoral count is ceremonial at best. There was nothing he could have done to flip the election—and he was right to conduct himself as he did.

Don’t allow your love for Trump to compromise your integrity. I celebrate Trump’s victories on life/liberty and will forever be grateful for it—with no regrets about voting for him twice. But love for Trump doesn’t justify baseless & vindictive attacks on men of God like Pence.

Pence’s chance of a White House victory in 2024 isn’t too great, and that’s a truth conservatives should be ashamed of, because so many conservatives have idolized Trump while putting character and holistic conservatism on the back burner.

Pence’s policy brand and character are admirable. We’d basically get Trump policies without the inappropriate behavior. But sadly, we’re seeing people fall prey to Trumpism while abandoning true righteous conservatism. Be better, conservatives.” Spot on.

Pence’s brave adherence to honor is not enough for the baying hordes and his name has been mud with them since J6, to the point, we may remember, that they even produced a portable gallows to hang him on. However, that was not always the case.

For four years most, if not all, Republicans had no problem with Mike Pence. A successful governor and congressman, he was a loyal second to Trump. He only bolted when Trump, drunk with recriminations and revenge fantasies, asked him to upend the Constitution and throw the nation into crisis.

Pence is traveling the country and certainly looking and sounding like a 2024 candidate. Perhaps he thinks Trump will stumble, not run, or be indicted. All three may happen, especially indictment. But that won’t matter much to his petit bourgeois storm troopers. They will be Trumpists with or without Trump and would if need be transfer their votes to a Trump-endorsed successor like DeSantis. But never to Pence. Too bad. For Mike Pence, honest courageous Mike Pence, is a wasted Republican asset who would make a great president. The populist wing of the GOP will see to it he doesn’t get the chance.