Mike Pence was recently asked if Trump is the Nominee for 2024, will you vote for him?
Pence replied: “Well, there might be someone else I’d prefer more.”
Some political commentators are interpreting this as meaning the person he might prefer is himself, and thus that he is hinting that he will be running.
Now, I don’t think that is a correct interpretation of those words. To me, it seems as if he’s simply hinting that he won’t support Trump, but without directly committing himself to a firm no.
So what’s your opinion? What do you think he meant?
Note: I put this thread in IMHO instead of P&E for a reason. This question is about the correct interpretation of a single sentence. Please restrict discussion to this topic alone.
Please no opinions about whether Pence ought to run, Pence’s politics, or Pence personally. You can go to P&E to talk about that.
“I think Trump is a dumpster fire but I’m terrified that saying so out loud will end my political career. Maybe this will be enough to avoid his ire while simultaneously convincing a hypothetical President deSantis that I’m worth a cabinet seat. Oh dear oh bother oh odds and bodkins.”
It means he’s still trying to pointlessly (because the MAGAtroids are permanently pissed at him for not anointing the Mango Messiah on 1/6/21) triangulate.
Yeah, Pence still delusionally believes he has a political future in the US, so he is attempting to thread the messaging needle where he neither prostrates himself before Trump (and thereby looks like a cowardly hypocrite) nor criticizes him as unfit for office (and thereby alienates the angry MAGAt base). Unsurprising that what emerges from this effort sounds like gibberish.
In any case, he seems unaware that the needle’s opening is the size of a hydrogen atom, and he’s trying to thread it with a hawser.
Yes, but not the only valid interpretation. That is, I think he could have meant that he intends or wants to run. But he could also have meant it as a “diplomatic” way of saying that he didn’t think Trump was a very good candidate (and I can think of several good reasons why he’d want to be “diplomatic” and not piss off Trump or Trump’s worshipers).
How, exactly, are we to interpret an obviously feckless weasel-worded equivocation other than by concluding, “Yep, that’s an obviously feckless weasel-worded equivocation, all right”?
Pence said “Well, there might be someone else I’d prefer more.”
David Pakman and Farron Cousins have mentally added " … and that person is me" to the statement.
Question: when Pence said the words “someone else” did he mean himself?
You haven’t answered the question. Chronos hasn’t answered the question. Steve_MB didn’t answer the question. Kenobi_65 didn’t answer the question. pullykamel answered, but just said “yes” and gave no basis for the answer.
I was answering the very simple follow-up question I quoted. I thought you wanted very specific answers to very specific questions. That statement can be read and interpreted as a coy “oh, there’s someone else I’d rather vote for, that’s me!” What further explanation is needed? It didn’t seem you wanted conversation after your replies to others. Do I think that’s what he meant? I can’t say anything other than “I don’t know.” Maybe. Like I said, that certainly is one way to read it. It’s probably more likely a simple question dodge, but that interpretation strikes me as reasonable.
