Tomorrow marks the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2016 election season, in which two bland candidates will face off on important political issues for the sweeping tens of viewers across the nation. Seeing as the general reaction to both vice president announcements was little more than “who?”, Student Life’s Forum section has decided to conveniently lay out what you need to know about each potential veep before you maybe half-listen to what they have to say Tuesday night.

Laura Ancona | Student Life

Who is this guy?

Pence is a rather conservative Midwestern governor and former congressman, who has some Grand Old Party support that we presume Trump is clinging to. He’s fairly moderate on the economy and foreign policy, but falls in line with the Catholic church (pre-Pope Francis) on his social views. Pence is by no means the character we would’ve expected to be Trump’s sidekick. Despite being confused about what he should actually talk about while campaigning for Trump, Pence probably won’t be mentioning his timely endorsement of Ted Cruz or the fact that he used to be a Democrat .

What does he care about?

Governor Pence is a fiscal and foreign policy hawk. A major proponent of reduced taxes and slashed spending, Pence is not a fan of big budget bills like No Child Left Behind, a bill that many of his Republican peers voted for. On free trade agreements, Pence takes a view opposite Clinton and Trump, supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal that Hillary formerly championed and President Obama currently supports. Clearly, while Pence is very conservative, he isn’t an ardent partisan politician. Meanwhile, Trump is in favor of instituting tariffs on foreign imports to make American jobs great again. Ultimately, the two go together about as well as crocs and anything.
Pence and Trump are misaligned on many fundamental political issues. Pence said that banning Muslims from our country is unconstitutional and has not backed down on his belief. Pence is in fact supportive of increased border security measures, but has not said whether he wants the infamous “Wall,” or whether he would want Mexico to pay for it.
While his economic and foreign policies are far less radical than Trump’s, he’s socially a concern for many on this campus, standing as a staunch tea party conservative. Like a surprisingly large portion of the Republican party, even in 2016, any shreds of being a moderate fall apart when Pence turns to social issues. His actions in this arena also go against Trump’s, making Pence a nightmare for a lot of students.
Most people hadn’t heard of the surprisingly powerful politician until last year, when Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The bill he signed into law last year essentially gave legal permission for widespread discrimination against the LGBTQIA* community. He supported the law under the guise of extending legal protection to business owners, who didn’t want to participate in same-sex weddings, but ultimately he amended the law. While Pence’s personal opinions won’t change, it’s scary to see a vice president candidate try to enforce his stance on the American people.

Why should we care about that?

You should care about Pence, because, if Trump wins, the businessman could always exit the picture, despite his claims that he’d be the “healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” In the meantime, Pence can help Trump figure out the whole deal with Congress if negotiating doesn’t work out and Trump doesn’t “fire” them all. Pence is the more rational voice in the situation room, hopefully controlling Trump’s temper. While Trump talks about how he doesn’t need political experience, Pence brings that to the table, and may actually be able to sway Trump on some issues if elected. One can only hope that this Midwestern Boy Scout can tame the Donald.

I’m bored: tell me something funny about him.

After being selected by Trump to be his running mate, Mike Pence and his family had a little bit of time before their flight home to Indiana to enjoy the best of what the Big Apple has to offer. So, where did he go? The Empire State Building? A Yankees game? No, he went some place even better. Pence went to Chili’s at 4 p.m. for an early dinner with his family. As calculated as the choice of establishment may have been politically, I hardly suspect that this was his first and only visit to Chili’s. More importantly, if he’s eating dinner that early, what’s he going to do if he becomes president for any reason? Trump on the red phone is a scary thought for many, but at least he won’t be asleep before most American children.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that Tim Kaine supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership.