Pence’s political calculation

Re “Why are we praising Pence for following the law?” Opinion, March 14

After four years of sycophantic devotion to President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence followed the Constitution on Jan. 6, 2021, as he was required to do. We credit him for that.

Two years later, Pence has expressed anger and assigned blame to Trump, but as Jonah Goldberg points out, he has refused interviews by the Justice Department and the House Jan. 6 committee. Why would Pence want to protect Trump?

Goldberg knows that making political calculations is part of running for office. I believe that Pence anticipated succeeding Trump. He has been trying to position himself as the least antagonistic to proand anti-Trumpers, and favored by independents.

We are a divided nation that needs honest public servants. I don’t see Pence like that.

Gilbert H. Skopp Calabasas

Goldberg is choosing not to see the obvious. Our country is divided into three voting factions, not two: the MAGA crowd, the Democrats and the undecideds, who these days seem to include ex-Republicans.

No candidate can win the presidency with the votes of only one of these groups.

Republicans running for president must please both the MAGA crowd and some undecideds. This requires them to say things they don’t really believe, as well as things they do believe.

The guessing game lies in figuring out which statements the candidates believe, and which ones they don’t. There is no chance the candidates will actually tell them, or will be consistent in what they say, because that would mean losing votes.

June Ailin Sewell

Marina del Rey