The Time Bryan O’Nolan Met Mike Pence at a Foreign Policy Event

When Mike Pence turned to shake my hand Saturday morning in the Event Center in Bedford, New Hampshire one of the most absurd events in my life began to unfold. Absurd that it happened at all. Perfection itself in the look of concerned bemusement on his face after I’d handed him his very own signed copy of Mike Pence & Me, itself a collection of absurd little stories you may have read in these very pages. Absurd that he thanked me, characterized himself as “tickled” at the notion that someone would make him into an absurd folk hero. Absurd that he kept the book.

Uncaptured on film – virtual or otherwise – is the look of horror on the face of the young staffer who took some time to peruse the table of contents, his wide eyes those of one witnessing, in slow motion, a once-avoidable disaster play out unchecked.

It was beautiful.

My act of shameless self-promotion over, I briefly considered leaving, but I decided that I might as well hear what he had to say.

The event was hosted by Polaris National Security and its founder, former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

Before I go on, two things.

Thing the first: I’ll have more to say on this in another piece here at Ordinary Times, but these sorts of events are an expectation voters in New Hampshire have. There were maybe fifty people in attendance and everybody had the opportunity to speak directly with the candidate both before and after.

Thing the second: Despite all the silly stories I‘ve written about them man, I wouldn’t have said he was My Candidate. Someone whose politics mostly aligned with mine? Sure. But I thought, in the current environment, that he was the candidate running with two strikes already against him.

Throughout the question and answer session he handled himself very well. When a woman brought up the two sailors arrested for selling secrets to China, he spoke about information security and, in fact, brought up that he had inadvertently taken materials out of the White House that he should not have. He said, “It was inadvertent; but it was a mistake.”

He respectfully disagreed with Republicans who want the United States to stop funding the Ukrainian resistance.

His answer regarding the southern border was excellent, focusing on walls, Title 42 and the asylum process, yes, but also saying that he would tell the Mexican president that if he is not capable of “taking the fight to the cartels” then the U.S. would support the Mexican government to make sure they do have the capability. He wants “compassion and care” for those already in fentanyl’s thrall.

Even when I – unintentionally – wrong footed him by asking about the proper response to the powder-keg in West Africa generally and Niger specifically – “Well,” he began, “I don’t get the briefings I used to” – he did then speak at some length about the need to counter Chinese influence via debt diplomacy in Africa.

So what do I think about his candidacy now? Well, he’s managed to complicate the race, for me at any rate. He’s competent. His answers were ideas, not talking points, and he knows what he’s talking about. He’s got the experience, character, energy and values I’d love to see in a president. He’s Ronald Reagan, if Ronald Reagan had never been an actor. I don’t know if Ronald Reagan wins an election in the year of our Lord 2024.

He didn’t shy away from culture war issues – he wants to reduce “woke, politically correct” influence in the military – but he doesn’t have Ron DeSantis’s aggressive attitude on them either. Now whether DeSantis’s doggedness is a feature or a bug remains to be seen. In my opinion his culture war engagement hasn’t always been wise or appropriate – I have no love for Disney, but I’m not a fan of the state retaliating against a company for its views.

He didn’t avoid the T-word either, using the phrase “Trump-Pence Administration” a number of times.

Get him on a debate stage – particularly in the presence of his former boss – and I think you have an excellent candidate. Put him at the top of a ticket against Joe Biden – particularly after all the time, money and energy they yapping class on cable news and online have spent selling the “you know who’s actually worse than Donald Trump? Ron DeSantis” line for so long – and I think you have a win for the GOP, and I don’t think the results would be very close.