By: Kate Westrick and Grace Graves
Indiana Governor and now Republican Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence hosted a town hall in Dalton, Georgia on August 30. With the 2016 national presidential election only 70 days away, both Republican and Democratic party candidates and their running mates have m
any political events ahead of them.
Pence stopped in small town Georgia and addressed key issues that have proven to be hot topics this electoral season. He took questions from the crowd and tried to resolve some of the issues the audience brought up.
He spoke to relieve fears of voter fraud, gave thoughts on Hillary Clinton’s health, spoke to problems with the shoddy VA system and healthcare, and immigration.
Clinton’s health has been a topic of national discussion in recent weeks, but Pence redirected the concern saying, “I’m less concerned with her bad health and more with her bad ideas.”
Donald Trump was an unexpected choice for the Republican nomination and has been openly criticized on his character and personal history. So, Pence addressed this by lauding Trump’s character saying, “He just gets it.” referring to Trump’s understanding of America’s issues.
Now Pence is a much more traditional choice, possibly chosen to draw in the evangelical vote. Still, because of the differences between Trump and Pence, he was an unlikely selection for the V.P. seat. Even so, the crowd received Pence excitedly and warmly.
While there were no official statistics provided, the demographics of the rally were mostly caucasians over the age of 40. There was a significant presence of young men and women including a woman at the entrance to the convention center. She stood in the heat wearing a full burka. In her hand was a sign that read “Hillary’s America 2017.” The costumed lady explained that if Clinton was elected, this is what the United States could expect next year: a wave of Muslim refugees. She was there in support of Trump’s campaign and said she plans on voting for him November 8.
A Dalton-native there to see Pence speak said she had a lot of comfort voting for a Pence/Trump ticket.
Pence helps balance out Trump’s campaign by bringing years of political experience and more support from the evangelicals.
While Pence was the traditional choice for vice presidential pick, Trump’s unconventional campaign left room for improvement that Pence provided. Pence’s speech provided valuable insight into the potential future president of the United States.
