Attack, instead.
Posted on 04/06/2015 7:08:48 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Amid a firestorm of criticism from gay-rights activists enraged by his signing of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a slew of major media outlets rushed to question Governor Mike Pence’s future political prospects. Politico even went so far as to call it “The Week Mike Pence’s 2016 Dreams Crumbled.”
Pence’s professional associates believe he was blindsided by the backlash, an unusual situation for the normally savvy political operator. “I think he realized that there was an organized opposition,” says one. “But I think what he didn’t fully understand or appreciate was just how well-organized, how big and well-funded that opposition is.”
Even so, while many prominent Republicans hesitate to declare the firestorm over, they see it as a tempest in a teapot — a minor flare-up that’s unlikely to damage Pence’s long-shot presidential prospects on the off-chance that he decides to run, and one that certainly won’t damage his chances of winning reelection as governor in deep-red Indiana.
“The great myth of this is that it’s a bunch of social conservatives or Christian conservatives [defending the governor],” Weekly Standard editor William Kristol says, noting that “a lot of libertarians also want to defend the principle” of religious liberty. “I think he actually has an opportunity to make both a socially conservative and libertarian case here,” Kristol continues. “Both for the religious freedom act and for freedom generally.”
“I think this is definitely an issue he can recover from,” says one longtime Pence associate. “I think there are a lot of people [in Indiana] who feel bad for him, who are with him and realize he’s in a tough spot.”
Two weeks ago, no one would’ve thought to question Pence’s political staying power. Since taking office in 2012, the former Republican congressman had proven himself a popular and effective governor — balancing budgets, driving down unemployment, and passing the largest tax cut in modern Indiana history during his first year in office. He was even seen by some as a potential dark-horse candidate in 2016 — someone who could unite the disparate wings of the GOP after sectional candidates fell by the wayside.
Then, on Thursday, March 26, he signed Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and all hell broke loose.
Gay activist groups, fearful that the law would allow businesses to discriminate against homosexuals, lashed out at Pence. Social-media celebrities erupted in righteous indignation, directing their followers to target Pence and his supporters in a campaign Kristol calls “semi-totalitarian.” CEOs of major corporations publicly admonished the governor — Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote a column calling RFRA laws “dangerous’” and comparing Indiana to Saudi Arabia, while Angie’s List CEO Bill Oesterle reneged on an agreement to expand the company’s headquarters in Indianapolis. Dozens of other businesses threatened to pull their dollars from Indiana, and thousands of consumers threatened to boycott the state.
The governor’s defensive initial response seemed to exacerbate the controversy. “I would’ve done things a little differently than he did, perhaps, on TV Sunday,” says Kristol, referring to a contentious interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “But it’s very easy to second-guess sitting here in Washington.”
On Tuesday, March 31, Pence convened a press conference vowing to “correct” Indiana’s RFRA. By Thursday, he had signed a measure “clarifying” that the law does not authorize businesses to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
The move failed to appease activists on either side of the controversy. Staunch social conservatives grumbled at the limited legal protections the “clarified” law now provided to homosexuals. Gay activists and their business allies, meanwhile, continued to agitate for a complete repeal of the RFRA and the full recognition of gays and lesbians as a protected class.
But despite some dark talk in Indianapolis, conservatives believe Pence will be largely unscathed when he seeks reelection in 2016. “As much as religious conservatives are disappointed that he signed this [clarifying measure], they’re not going to go vote for anybody else,” his longtime associate says.
Thursday’s fix is a “palliative for the business class,” that should “have [businesses] respect [Pence] all the more,” the associate says. “They feel like he’s a guy they can work with and trust.”
“He’s been among the two or three most principled and effective leaders on economic freedom issues in the country,” says one top fiscal conservative. “The policies he’s put into place as governor are among the best in the country.”
“I don’t think any businesses are going to want to avoid doing business in a state that’s among the 20 biggest in the country,” he says. “They really need to think that through.”
In other words, conservatives believe that Pence’s strong record in Indiana would still translate well in a national race. If he chooses to run (a possibility most people close to him are quick to caution was unlikely even before the RFRA brouhaha), the governor’s path to the White House looks largely the same as it did two weeks ago: Stay afloat long enough for the rest of the field to stumble, and hope that the party’s money-men pick him to fill the vacuum.
“There’s always a scenario for a candidate like him to get in,” Pence’s associate says.
“[If the front-runners flame out], there could all of a sudden become this thing among a significant number of donors this summer to say, ‘We’ve got to scramble here and get somebody else.’”
– Brendan Bordelon is a media reporter for National Review.
By backing down, the idiot lost support from serious Christians.
And he did not gain the support of homofascists and their enablers.
They would never vote for him anyway.
At this point he is a lame duck whose goose is cooked.
It probably enhanced his reputation with the Jeb Bush wing of the GOP. As far as I am concerned, Pence is dead to me.
His response is what kills him, at least for conservatives.
Attack, instead.
Beat me to it, but well said!
“I think there are a lot of people [in Indiana] who feel bad for him, who are with him and realize he’s in a tough spot.”
...falling under pressure from gays isn’t a “tough spot”. It’s weakness and fear. We have plenty of choices in that category already.
Pence screwed himself by agreeing to an interview with Dem. Hitman Stephanopolis.
Well I’m still a Mike Pence fan unlike many here at good old FR. But Tim Cook continues to rapidly lose points in my book. I love my iThis and my iThat but I would ditch Timmy in a heartbeat if it were up to me.
Not only did the rights of Christians lose, Mike Pence lost any hope of a further future in Politics.
He certainly won’t have trouble being re-elected as governor. The only question is regarding his future status nationally.
As a Hoosier who thought Pence was a conservative, I’ve come to realize he’s just another pandering politician. His action on Common Core was eye-opening (he just gave it another name in a state program) and his response to the gaystapo was the nail in the coffin, so to speak. He’s dead to me, too.
Cruz would have handled Stephanopolis. Cruz would have said "No George, you tell me, is it okay to discriminate against Christians in Indiana?"
Mike Pence bought into George Stephanopolis' premise in the debate. He should have utterly rejected it. The Liberal position is the one which should be on the defensive, not the normal position.
The Apple Amen corner in 3,2,1!
Absolutely. What destroyed him is backing down. Another posturing prostitute with no principles or convictions. Too many in GOP leadership positions.
Has anyone stood up to the gaystapo? I can’t think of any politician who has.
Didn’t know much about Pence, but his capitulation to the gay mafia puts him at the bottom for me, along with Jeb Bush and Chris Christie.
Not sure agreeing to the interview hurt him. Failing to deliver a strong message about the law definitely hurt him. He responded to questions from Steponallofus like he was some kind of third party observer and not a champion of the law.
I quail at the thought of President Pence. If he's going to cower before a tiny band of sodomites, how the hell can he be expected to stand up to Putin, the Chinese Communists, Tehran's mullahs and ISIS?
These RFRA laws sound good on the face to it, but in reality all they are doing is weakening the 1st amendment in my opinion.
I was a big cheerleader for this for a few weeks but now that I have thought it over I’m not so sure.
Somebody wrote an article over the weekend that pointed out the fact that the 1st amendment lays out our god given rights which cannot be taken away by government. The RFRA laws are corporate rights given by the govt and can also be taken away by the govt.
I would somewhat equate this to the argument my US rep used when I questioned why he didn’t vote for the US concealed carry reciprocity act. He said that he felt like it was a states rights issue and that if we gave that right away to the Federal government they could grant CC reciprocity today and take it away later. And he’s right.
So frankly rather than trying to pass these RFRA laws what we need is good old civil disobedience. We are in the middle of a culture war and a war on Christianity. So We are all going to have to stand up and demand our religious rights and make sure we defend the 1st amendment.
I believe Indiana and Mike Pence would be better served by just defending the 1st amendment rather than some watered down add on law. Which is what it is.
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