Ah, the Hoosier state, where Republicans fail upwards

(Updated below.)

 Wow. So it's going to be Pence.  Proud son of the state where I was born, although not the state I'm from.

Not sure why Trump would pick him, but it's his business. Maybe the Short-Fingered Vulgarian needed someone to put a happy face on bigotry, misogyny, and corporate fascism. I never thought that Gingrich had much of a chance -- Trump would never allow another ego that big on the same stage with him. And the same, probably, for Christie, with the added fact that Trump might be smart enough to know he could never turn his back on him.

Or maybe, as Trump himself said not long ago, he wants a Veep with executive and legislative experience (however dubious the outcome) running all the day-to-day business of the last superpower, while he . . . does whatever he'll do. maybe. Thinking up smart, big ideas that people will love. Continuing his twitter war with Elizabeth Warren, Whatever.

From Pence's side it's probably easier to explain: He can't go back the House, really; Evan Bayh just bigfooted the hell out of the Senate race; and after last year's Religious Freedom Restoration Act debacle, he's polling within the margin of error for re-election as governor in a very red state.  If he still wants to be a Name (for anything other than sending back a steak) in 2020, he needs to stay at least somewhat visible  (Does Pence want to run in 2020? Of course he does. Name me one GOP governor, congressional rep, or senator who didn't look at the 2016 primary and think, "Hey, maybe I've got a shot here.") Apparently being remembered as the Sarah Palin (or perhaps the Dan Quayle) of 2016 will do it, in his mind.

So he'll be scheduled for Wednesday night of the convention, after the Florida AG who ended her investigation of Trump U after she got a considerable contribution check from a Trump charity, followed by an astronaut, a golfer who Trump once fired on Celebrity Apprentice, and Newt Gingrich and Ted Cruz. I think I detect a theme here: I'll take Losers who Will Crawl on Their Bellies for Me for $200, Alec.  (I just can't figure out what the astronaut did wrong to get this gig.*)

Good luck with all that, Governor Pence.

*Update 7/21/2016: Eileen Collins, all is forgiven.