Top Indiana Democrats trashed Mike Pence on Tuesday as a gaffe-prone politician who “doesn’t think very deeply about his convictions” hours before the Republican governor was set to take the stage for the first and only vice presidential debate.
“One thing that those of us in Indiana know about Mike Pence is that he is capable of a gaffe that follows doubling down on an extreme position,” said Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath during a press call hosted by the Democratic National Committee.
“Mike Pence does not think very deeply about his convictions, and when those extreme convictions are exposed before a national audience, he frequently has the capability of saying something that’s going to make headlines,” Pelath charged. “And that’s going to make headlines for the wrong reason.”
Pence, who joined the GOP presidential ticket in mid-July, is seen by most Republicans as a deeply conservative, mild-mannered Midwesterner who often defends Trump’s policies better than the billionaire himself. The Hoosier State governor was rated the “most conservative vice presidential nominee in 50 years” by the American Conservative Union on Monday.
“He is easy to push in an extreme direction and I have a hunch that viewers tonight may see their eyes open and their ears widened simply because he says something outlandish,” Pelath told reporters. “It’s not that difficult to puncture the nice guy demeanor.”
John Zody, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, accused Pence of tarnishing his state’s reputation by signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015 — a topic that is likely to come up in Tuesday’s debate.
“We used to have a proud reputation as one of the most welcoming states in the country,” Zody said. “I truly believe that reputation is in jeopardy now thanks to Mike Pence’s administration.”
Pence and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine will face off at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Longwood University in Farmville, Va.
“I think you’re going to see … a feisty Mike Pence take on the record of Hillary Clinton and hold her accountable for the failure of her policies as secretary of state,” Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told Fox News in a preview of the debate Monday night.
