Pence stages a football game 'outrage' stunt

[Commodus]

If you hadn't already seen, VP Pence went to a Colts/49ers game in Indianapolis, and left in a huff out of supposed 'disrespect' for the country from player protests (never mind that they're infinitely more patriotic than Pence will ever be). Surely he's devoted to America if he gives up a chance to see his beloved Colts, right?

There's only one problem: it was all a publicity stunt.

He told journalists to sit in vans in case he left the game early (read: he expected to leave the game early), and the White House social team was ready to post about this 'courageous' walkout virtually the second he left his seat. Pence even reposted a photo from a Colts game in 2014, so lazy was the attempt to make this seem like spur-of-the-moment outrage. There was clearly no intention of sticking around for the full game; he couldn't have cared less about the Colts.

Now, you might ask what the problem is given that it doesn't really change the White House's message. Well, it's simple: he flew from Las Vegas to Indianapolis just for a PR ploy. Knowing that he needs official transportation and security, I suspect he burned through hundreds of thousands of dollars (and diverted time from, you know, actually running the country) simply to pretend to be shocked about a protest. It's not the most egregious example of waste in the Trump administration, but it's certainly a textbook example.

 

[theeedude]

Phony plastic snowflake.

 

[Fritzo]

I'm pretty pissed about this. They made someone resign over wasteful air travel, then Pence flies from the west coast to Indy to DO THIS???

There's also some irony that Pence left the game in protest of players staging a protest...

 

[UberNeuman]

Moron Trump supporters will eat up whatever Daddy dishes out.

 

[BoomerD]

Snowflakes on both sides need their safe space. In Pence's case...it's Secret Service protected safe space.

 

[Victorian Gray]

It will work for those folks it was intended to impress. Mission accomplished.

 

[TheVrolok]

It will work for those folks it was intended to impress. Mission accomplished.

This. Pence is a damned American hero!

 

[vi edit]

Petty Petty Vice Princess in action. So glad we have these pivotal stances of import instead of I dunno... NUCLEAR FUCKING DESTRUCTION OF 10'S OF MILLIONS.

But this administration...you go on being you!

 

[werepossum]

Snowflakes on both sides need their safe space. In Pence's case...it's Secret Service protected safe space.

This, and personally I'm pretty fucking tired of it. There is and should be no Constitutional protection against being offended, and I'm way past being impressed at anyone's outrage. Put on your big boy panties and deal with it.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Can't help but wonder how the cost of this one event compares to all of the private travel Trump was outraged by.

 

[vi edit]

Can't help but wonder how the cost of this one event compares to all of the private travel Trump was outraged by.

I think Trump's presidential pivot was simply doing everything he bitched about the position before being one. It's good to be the king.

 

[sactoking]

There's nothing like faux outrage over a disrespectful act that is not actually disrespectful.

 

[HomerJS]

Did Pence know his boss disrespected a symbol of our country, the White House by calling it a Venezuelan prison? What a dick wad.

WH is much of a symbol as the flag.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

You needed to have that explained to you? I think pretty much everyone on Earth knew that was a staged stunt the second it happened. He went into the game knowing some players would kneel, so he couldn't possibly be surprised by it.

Maybe we're giving Trump's team too little credit. They've managed to turn the issue into a great big joke where the reactions are the story rather than the protests being the story. Couldn't that have been the goal all along?

 

[VRAMdemon]

Just part of placating Little Donny at "the adult daycare center".

 

[VRAMdemon]

You needed to have that explained to you? I think pretty much everyone on Earth knew that was a staged stunt the second it happened. He went into the game knowing some players would kneel, so he couldn't possibly be surprised by it.

Maybe we're giving Trump's team too little credit. They've managed to turn the issue into a great big joke where the reactions are the story rather than the protests being the story. Couldn't that have been the goal all along?

Or..Trump & Co took a issue that was basically out of the spotlight and turned anthem-time protest gestures for social justice issues back into the spotlight and national discussion.

 

[IronWing]

You needed to have that explained to you? I think pretty much everyone on Earth knew that was a staged stunt the second it happened. He went into the game knowing some players would kneel, so he couldn't possibly be surprised by it.

Maybe we're giving Trump's team too little credit. They've managed to turn the issue into a great big joke where the reactions are the story rather than the protests being the story. Couldn't that have been the goal all along?

Trump is determined to make every controversy about him. Tampons vs maxipads? Are you with Trump or against America on this issue?

 

[BoomerD]

Just ke3p the base focused on silly shit like this instead of allowing them to realize the administration just can't accomplish anything meaningful.

 

[sandorski]

This stunt is Fake News.

 

[trenchfoot]

Moron Trump supporters will eat up whatever Daddy dishes out.

Goes hand in hand with their voting for Trump for the purpose of defying the "establishment" and then totally ignoring the fact that Trump is the quintessential example of the "establishment" who hired the worst of the worst establishment types that Trump's supporters wanted to get rid of in the first place.

Conservative style irony in its finest hour.

edit - As for Pence and his expensive ploy, there is no cost deemed too expensive by the Repubs when it comes to attaining and then staying in power because staying in power is everything. There is no higher priority for them, the welfare of the nation be damned.

 

[UNCjigga]

Doh

 

[Indus]

 

[JSt0rm]

they probably thought other people would do it if they saw pence do it. war with the nfl is hilarious.

 

[Younigue]

And it's hysterical that he left the game! Petulant, impotent, moronic, self-punishing, minion. Yet there are people out there who will think it was such a powerful and meaningful move. Feed stupidity to the stupid, they love it! And it makes Trump feel so good when his followers admire his balls or in this case Pence's balls with Trump's permission. So gross and so hilariously weak.

 

[Thump553]

It's easy to dismiss this as a publicity stunt/diversion tactic, but stop and think about how much this cost each of us as a taxpayer. The Secret Service had to check out the venue, make security arrangements (which, from past personal experience, greatly inconvenienced the thousands of legit fans attending the game), fly his entire entourage in and out for a five minute staging, etc. I bet the total cost to the taxpayers for this stunt was well into seven figures.

What's so conservative about this sort of deliberate waste? Personally I'd rather we fund 100,000 welfare frauders for a month than piss away our money on this sort of nonsense.

It goes without saying that, per his tweets, Pence was directly asked and instructed by Trump to do this.