Is it Really Pence?

[PeteB]

I have predicted Pence as the VP candidate, for a few days now, but the way this was announced is giving me pause for thought.  Maybe I am overthinking this or giving Trump and his campaign too much credit, but for the campaign to "leak" the name (and then "confirm" it to several news outlets), one day before the formal announcement and two hours before Trump even formally notified Pence, seems really non-media nor PR savvy.  And if Trump has any proven qualities, it is his handling of the media. 

I am beginning to think that there may yet be a "yooge" surprise (Fallin, Flynn, Rubio, Kasich, Rice, ?), in store for everyone tomorrow.

[PeteB]

It would be a strategy to control the media cycle even longer. As it is Trump has all day tomorrow as that's when he will officially name. Leaking a false name today gives them 36 hours or so all to themselves. Leak Pence, say nothing, backtrack, officially name somebody else at 11 am 7/15

But all campaigns have leaks. In this case I think it really is Pence. I personally would've gone with Kasich.

Fallin would've been terrible

The leak was something I could believe happened, especially coming from Trump's campaign.  But the confirmation that a number of outlets are saying they received, from the campaign, is illogical.  You would think that, once it was leaked, Trump would at least tweet this out or announce it on an evening news show, and forbid his campaign to give confirmations.  But then, maybe I am giving him too much credit - we'll see.

As for Kasich, we know that Kasich refused Trump before, but we also know that Trump was adamant that he wanted Kasich as VP.  Yesterday there was a report that he reached out to Condi Rice in a last ditch attempt - how come there were no reports of him doing the same with Kasich?

[PeteB]

I'll be Pencive until I find out.

You ain't Fallin for this...

[PeteB]

I'll be Pencive until I find out.

You ain't Fallin for this...

It won't be Christie-l clear until 11 tomorrow

You guys sure are Flynngin' puns around like there's no tomorrow.

We're going to need some therapy Sessions after all these puns.

Everyone should really put a Corker in it until flight plans have been leaked.

Don't be so Condi-scending...

[PeteB]

I'll be Pencive until I find out.

You ain't Fallin for this...

It won't be Christie-l clear until 11 tomorrow

You guys sure are Flynngin' puns around like there's no tomorrow.

We're going to need some therapy Sessions after all these puns.

Everyone should really put a Corker in it until flight plans have been leaked.

Don't be so Condi-scending...

We'll probably know the name pretty Thune.

The losers will be Mattis hell when trump Blackburns them.

geez these puns are making me Kasich

I'm gonna Love it when this is over.

Kaine we do one of these for the Democrats when the time comes?

Sure, I know you've been Biden your time for that.

I wish the media would be Franken with us and stop throwing us all for a Hickenloop.

I'm Warren that on the Democratic side, this rhyming could turn into a thread, longer than a Book-er.

[PeteB]

Going back to the original post, it does look like Trump was not serious about Pence. Whether Pence was aware of that or was just being strung along, I do believe that it looks increasingly unlikely that Pence will be the VP candidate. The delayed announcement could indicate that Trump is still not sure or it could be a delay to maximize media exposure of the VP candidate. But it's hard to imagine Trump being careless about a Pence leak, if he is so anal about the announcement mechanics and media exposure. Which is why I have even more doubts that Pence will in fact be the VP candidate.

[PeteB]

I'll be Pencive until I find out.

You ain't Fallin for this...

It won't be Christie-l clear until 11 tomorrow

You guys sure are Flynngin' puns around like there's no tomorrow.

We're going to need some therapy Sessions after all these puns.

Everyone should really put a Corker in it until flight plans have been leaked.

Don't be so Condi-scending...

We'll probably know the name pretty Thune.

The losers will be Mattis hell when trump Blackburns them.

geez these puns are making me Kasich

I'm gonna Love it when this is over.

Kaine we do one of these for the Democrats when the time comes?

Sure, I know you've been Biden your time for that.

I wish the media would be Franken with us and stop throwing us all for a Hickenloop.

I'm Warren that on the Democratic side, this rhyming could turn into a thread, longer than a Book-er.

It might be a little while before we know Hillary's Vice Perezidential pick.

But there won't be any shortage of Kaine-didates!

[PeteB]

It is beginning to look that it was Trump's ineptitude that caused all this, and that I was giving him too much credit on media control.  We'll know for sure in a few hours when he issues a press release (tweets?), but all the signs (reporting from AP below) are that it will be Pence after all.

"...Donald Trump has offered Mike Pence the job of vice-president, and Trump aides have told the Indiana governor the formal announcement could be made on Saturday.
......

Trump made the offer Thursday afternoon, before Pence travelled late in the day to New York, the Republican said. The announcement had been planned for Friday morning in midtown Manhattan, but Trump delayed his plans after the truck attack in Nice, France, that left more than 80 people dead.

.....

The announcement delay created a complication for Pence. He's up for re-election in Indiana, but state law requires him to withdraw from that race by noon Friday if he's joining Trump on the Republican ticket.

Pence's team has drawn up the paperwork for the withdrawal, the Republican said, but as of Friday morning, the documents had not been submitted.

Trump's frenetic decision-making process was made more complicated by the fact that the businessman was in California Thursday for a series of fundraisers, isolated from nearly all of his closest advisers, including his three adult children and his campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

Frustration among Trump and his advisers mounted because of news reports that Pence was the pick, sending top aides scrambling to insist no final decision had been made.

The billionaire said in a series of television interviews Thursday night that he'd not yet settled on a "final, final" choice, leaving open the possibility the unpredictable presumptive nominee could change his mind....."

[PeteB]

And it is now formal - no more sitting on the fence, it is Pence!

Which brings an end to this illuminating thread.  It was fpun while it lasted.