Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the Republican nominee for vice president of the United States, had a chance the other day to do something his running mate, Donald J. Trump, keeps refusing to do.
A supporter in a crowd to which Pence was speaking and threatened a “revolution” if Democratic nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton wins the presidential election. She talked of Clinton’s “corruption” and insisted that she and other Trumpsters would rise up in revolt if their ticket loses the race.
Pence then waved her off. “Don’t say that,” he said, walking away.
Now, at one level I find Gov. Pence’s mild admonition refreshing and necessary. He told the woman that “there will be a revolution on Nov. 8,” meaning — in his view — voters would elect the Trump-Pence ticket.
Sure thing, governor. Whatever you say.
However, he could have done something more, something akin to what Sen. John McCain did while running for the presidency in 2008.
Sen. McCain, the GOP nominee in that contest, was told by a supporter eight years ago that Sen. Barack Obama wasn’t an American, that she doubted his legitimacy as a candidate.
McCain shut her down. He told her point blank that Obama is a patriot, a fine American, a “friend” of his with whom he has serious policy disagreements.
That is the kind of response we have needed to hear more of from President Obama’s critics. Instead, we have witnessed Trump laugh such nonsense off. He doesn’t challenge these ridiculous assertions from his fervent supporters. Indeed, his own rhetoric foments talk of “revolution” and promotes the scurrilous accusations that the current president somehow isn’t the legitimate head of state.
I’m glad that Gov. Pence reacted in the manner that he did.
My only wish is that he would have channeled Sen. McCain’s own response to a similarly ludicrous assertion in an earlier campaign.
