Quietly, methodically and patiently, former Vice President Mike Pence has been making the rounds across the nation doing what he does best: delivering consistent conservative support and leadership where needed.
Without fanfare, he’s become a fundraising headliner for close campaigns, notably Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin.
And he’s done more than President Joe Biden to reach out to the families of the 13 service members killed in the Afghan withdrawal, even giving the eulogy at the Indiana funeral for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, saying, “We will tell about his courage. We will tell about his selflessness. And let me assure you, he will never be forgotten.”
Along the way, people have renewed their attention to Pence, decried by some fanatics for not trying to stop the certification of Biden’s election on riot-filled Jan. 6. Instead, they’ve heard him herald former President Donald Trump’s policies that some now wish remained in place, such as border security.
This week in Budapest, Hungary, he hit on a touchstone issue, abortion, in calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to impose further restrictions.
“We may well have a fresh start in the cause of life in America,” Pence said at the Budapest Demographic Summit. “It is our hope and our prayer that in the coming days, a new conservative majority on the Supreme Court of the United States will take action to restore the sanctity of life in the center of American law.”
It seems to be going Pence’s way. Earlier this week, he was rewarded with the first major poll showing him as the top 2024 Republican alternative to former President Donald Trump, ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the previous front-runner.
In that survey, Pence had 32% support, while DeSantis had just 20%.
Allies expect that to continue as he embarks on a college speaking tour in the fall, builds on his new American Freedom podcast, and firms up his already strong relationship with the Heritage Foundation.
“Pence has leadership experience at every level, is well liked by conservatives, and viewed by a certain crowd as someone who stood up to Trump and saved our democracy by certifying the Electoral College votes of the 2020 presidential election,” pollster Jonathan Zogby said.
Of the DeSantis drop, Zogby said, “For the ‘Never Trump’ crowd, DeSantis did represent a fresh start for the Republican Party going into 2024, but at the present moment wouldn’t defeat Trump in a 2024 Republican primary. DeSantis has received the ire of the media because of his anti-mask and anti-vaccine stances and desire to keep the Florida economy open, which worked for some time. Since new virus strains have emerged, Florida saw an increase in cases and deaths, so his leadership has been questioned, and he has been painted as a failure.”
But he also said that everything isn’t roses yet for Pence if Trump decides not to run.
Pence, the former Indiana governor and longtime congressman, “will not be seen as an ally by Trump voters who still dominate the Republican Party. He’s kind of the next ‘great white hope’ to try and take out Trump. He has a puncher’s chance, but so does every heavyweight at this level.”
