Donald Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, is one of a handful of politicians who have made the transition from radio show host to politics, putting him in the company of Mike Huckabee, J.D. Hayworth, and, of course, Ronald Reagan. But despite having carved out a modest name for himself as a conservative Indiana talk show host in the 1990s, Pence doesn't much refer to his on-air past, Politico reports. But Pence's radio career was priming him to become exactly the kind of person Trump would later want to join his campaign:
Doing radio in the '90s, Pence wore crisp button-down shirts with the sleeves rolled up. He'd read snippets off wrinkled newspapers, nervously shuffle around his notes and make wild hand gestures. He had no sidekick, and there was no computer nearby for easy Googling. This was Pence unplugged, and it was here that he rebranded himself by offering a right-leaning spin on the world around him. He was also doing Trump's shtick years ahead of Trump, questioning the political wisdom of GOP leaders like Gingrich and Lott back in Washington, and much closer to home, condemning the local mainstream media for its "hatchet job" reporting on the Indianapolis 500. [Politico]
Pence's radio-show persona still makes the occasional appearance, and that could come in handy soon. "In politics, one, you need to be conversational, and he is conversational. Second, you need to be able to connect with people, and you can do it through his voice. It's very pleasing. It's very Midwestern. People like to hear the voice, and that will bode well for him on the campaign trail," former Vice President Dan Quayle observed.
Listen for yourself, below, and read more about Pence's radio career at Politico. Jeva Lange
The Week
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