Rules? What rules?

@BarefootedBoy Then possibly that wasn’t the place to go.

@bijouxbroussard You'd have to take that up with the organizers of the event the VP was attending, as well as local officials who permitted it.

@BarefootedBoy I don’t live there. The people who now think Pence misused his privilege will have to take it up with them. And if Pence is bothered at all by their disapproval, it might even be a learning experience for him.

@BarefootedBoy Security? It’s an island with no cars. You put a couple boats around the island and be done.

Plus... isn’t this the rough and tough GOP? Imagine the photoshoot with Pence riding a horse (shirtless like Putin or not). Instead they have the idiot riding in a motorcade. They can’t even get easy PR right.

Luckily these guys are so stupid and outlandish that they aren’t actually ruining things. Whenever Americans hear “Trump” in years to come, they will roll their eyes and hope people would just forget it.

@SW-User Again, the Secret Service makes those decisions. It is made up up of career professionals. The Vice President does not personally handle security or logistics.
It was done for security purposes. Our leaders receive many threats on a daily basis. This whole thing has nothing to do with who is in office or his party affiliation.
When Albert Gore, Jr. Was Vice President, he would visit a farm he owned in Tennessee. AF2 would land at Nashville International Airport, and then the VP and his crew would travel by motorcade for the one-hour trip to his farm. Roadblocks were everywhere, and caused traffic issues. Some wondered why he didn't take a helicopter from the adjacent Air Guard base to the farm. The Secret Service decided it was safer for him to go by motorcade. Its priority was protecting him, not worrying about traffic, etc. The Service, not him, made that decision.

@bijouxbroussard Again, those decisions are made by the Secret Service. Someone can take it up with them.

@BarefootedBoy it doesn’t matter if the secret service makes the conditions. If the secret service said we had to drive on an island where nobody drives, I would skip the event.

Did he really need to go to that event?

@BarefootedBoy Actually, the decision to go to that particular venue was made by the VP. The circumstances were negotiated by Secret Service. A different location chosen by Pence, different arrangements made by the Secret Service.

@SW-User You seem to be the expert on government and policy and security, so I'll let you answer that one.

@SW-User...and while the Secret Service is in charge of the operation and safety, the VP at any time can change his mind or direct efforts.

@bijouxbroussard Your sources for this are...?

@Graylight Gee, I didn't realize there were so many people here with inside knowledge of the workings of government and administration.
FTR: I don't care about Pence, Gore, Biden, etc. Just pointing out that officials do not plan logistics or security.

@BarefootedBoy As mentioned, he didn’t have to go to the event.

You don’t have to be stupidly passive aggressive about losing your point.

@SW-User I didn't lose anything. You are allowing your lack of knowledge about how this stuff works, and hatred for the VP to color your judgment. It's quite entertaining to watch.

@BarefootedBoy But you do understand that the Secret Service doesn’t tell the VP where he’s going to spend his vacation, right ? Why else would Pence need to be there ? As for sources—I read the article.

@BarefootedBoy listen, boy, your “lack of knowledge” about the needs of the Vice President of America needing to be at a “Republican Party conference” is very telling.

He doesn’t need to go. It’s that simple. You know it. The whole world knows it.

Pretending to be stupid seems to be your thing. I don’t think you’re that stupid but I’ll play along.

@bijouxbroussard What article? I read SEVERAL.
This wasn't a vacation. He was giving a speech, according to CBS News, and a local station website.

@SW-User You're showing a lack of how government and security work. But you're NOT pretending.
The people who organized the event invited him. They made that decision. Nobody is asking them why they decided to have it there. Perhaps they should. But in the era of lazy journalism, that won't happen.
You don't like Pence. Fine. Matters not to me. If this had been a politician you like, you'd have given him or her a pass, and you know it.

@BarefootedBoy Never mind. Obviously he doesn’t really care about the wishes of the people there, which was the point.

@BarefootedBoy listen, boy, I would be making the same argument if Biden was in a car on Mackinaw island.

Ever been there? I have.

So... by your logic: if I invite the VP to my kid’s birthday party, he has to go?