CLEVELAND -- The focus at the Republican National Convention Wednesday is on Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who is scheduled to take the stage and officially accept the nomination for vice president.
Many delegates were hoping Pence would reveal more about himself. Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said it would be a learning process for the nation, but first impressions are everything.
“I don’t know that much about him yet,” Gmoser said. “I don’t think the country does … He appears to be a real stable guy, and I think that will be a good balance for Trump, who is perceived as being not so balanced and a little more off the cuff and spontaneous.”
Christopher Devine, who teaches political science at the University of Dayton, said he believed Pence’s presence in the campaign “overall is to present someone who is clearly a part of the conservative movement.”
For Ohio delegate Chris Hartmann, the selection of Pence speaks to the heart of the heartland.
“I kind of tell people you know we're from the Midwest and Donald Trump is not from the Midwest so he doesn't speak like a Midwesterner,” Hartmann said. “I'm not expecting him to do so, but his ability to reach out to pick Mike Pence, to choose a Midwesterner as his running mate who has certain disagreements on major positions, it shows maturity that he is willing to listen to other positions, that's not some ‘my way or the highway’ type view and it shows his leadership.”
