Seriously Boomer ignoring your humorous quips you appear to be a responsible mostly conservative guy. Are you happy with Trump and Pence?
I wasn't that enamored with any of the 17 (was it 18?). Although I can't think of an election since I started voting where there was ever an enthusiastic choice for me. I also think too much power is ascribed to the office of the President. The President has specific powers and duties and in the best case, the power is shared by the Legislative and Judicial branches. Too many have a tendency to forget this.
Having said that, I think Trump is the right candidate at the right time. The nation desperately needs a return to conservative values and Trump has the right mix of conservatism and liberalism needed right now. He doesn't speak like a politician and although some of that is refreshing, it can be an embarrassment too. But he's a smart guy and he'll figure it out. I hope he remains rough enough around the edges to be effective because plain talk is what people need to hear. People can take it despite the PC, SJW movements that have gone way, way too far. Is he the best the party could have running? Perhaps, or perhaps not. I don't know who would have been clearly better.
I mostly like the degree to which he has self-funded his run. The apple cart needs to be upset and in a big way. He doesn't have to answer to anyone and the chances of his being manipulated like the person he'll be running against (that you want me to leave out of the equation) is infinitesimally smaller. The level of corruption is reaching critical levels within the cadre of career politicians that make up the political class. Electing an insider is a guarantee of maintaining the status quo. Personally, I think this could be our one and only chance and that we shouldn't let it slip away from us.
Pence, I know little about. I would rather have had Newt but the VP for conservatives is not a make or break. At least not for me. Newt however, would have been too much like having two of the same on the ticket. Newt too would have been far more polarizing. I think a balance is good and although I know little about Pence, you can pretty much tell he's more of a low key kind of guy. The VP is more of a blah position. As VP, the VP is more of a harmless eunuch and the possibility of that individual becoming the preezy is slim although without LBJ, the losing war on poverty would have freed up billions and billions and billions of dollars that could have been used for other potentially more rewarding endeavors.
It's all a crap shoot. Somehow the gears keep turning regardless but IMO the cost of turning those gears has got to be addressed. The comfort of the status quo won't lead to any changes, just escalation.