Lynn Schmidt: The Pence-Trump divide defines today's Republican Party conundrum

kAm|2J36 :E :D 3642FD6 x 2> AC6A2C:?8 E@ =2F?49 @?6 @7 >J 49:=5C6? @77 E@ 4@==686[ 3FE x 92G6 366? E9:?<:?8 2 =@E 23@FE :?7=64E:@? A@:?ED :? =:76] %96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ :D 2=D@ 2E @?6 @7 E9@D6 A@:?ED] %96 A2CEJ[ =:<6 >J 52F89E6C[ ?665D E@ 564:56 H92E :E H2?ED E@ 36 2?5 H96E96C :E H2?ED E@ H:?] qFE x 2> 27C2:5 E92E[ F?=:<6 >J 52F89E6C[ E96C6 H:== 36 ?@ EFC?:?8 324< 7@C E96 v~! @?46 :E 49@@D6D :ED 72E6]k^Am

kAm%9:D 4C:E:42= ;F?4EFC6 AC@G:56D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C #6AF3=:42? AC:>2CJ G@E6CD] (9:=6 G@E6CD >2J =@G6 7@C>6C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 2?5 766= 96 :D 36:?8 A@=:E:42==J A6CD64FE65[ E96J D9@F=5 4@?D:56C EH@ E9:?8Di %96 v~! 92D =@DE E9C66 6=64E:@? 4J4=6D[ 2?5 E96 6=64E@C2E6 >2J 36 6I92FDE65 :7 %CF>AVD =682= H@6D 4@?E:?F6]k^Am

kAm%96J 2=D@ D9@F=5 4@?D:56C @?6 @E96C A6CD@?i 7@C>6C ':46 !C6D:56?E |:<6 !6?46]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 !6?46 92D J6E E@ 6?E6C E96 C246[ 96 92D 366? :? x@H2[ }6H w2>AD9:C6 2?5 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 @776C:?8 2 G:D:@? 7@C E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 E96 A2CEJ 32D65 @? G2=F6D 2?5 A@=:4:6D[ 2== E96 H9:=6 DEC2E68:42==J ?@E 2EE24<:?8 E96 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E @C 56>62?:?8 9:D DFAA@CE6CD] #6AF3=:42? AC:>2CJ G@E6CD ?665 E@ 4@?D:56C H92E E96 A2CEJ DE2?5D 7@C 2?5 H96E96C :E :D 2 H:??:?8 >6DD286 2D E96J D9@F=56C E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @7 49@@D:?8 E96 DE2?52C5 362C6C @7 E96 A2CEJ] w6C6 2C6 ;FDE 2 76H 6I2>A=6D @7 E96 !6?46\%CF>A 5:G:56ik^Am

kAm$A62<:?8 :? r652C #2A:5D[ x@H2[ 2E 2? 6G6?E x 2EE6?565[ !6?46 E@FE65 E96 A@=:4:6D 6?24E65 5FC:?8 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ 3FE :E H2D E96 C96E@C:4 2C@F?5 AC:?4:A=6D E92E H2D A2CE:4F=2C=J 4@?EC2DE:?8 E@ 9:D 7@C>6C 3@DD]k^Am

kAm!6?46 @A6?65 9:D C6>2C<D H:E9 2? 2?645@E6 23@FE 9:D 72E96C’D D6CG:46 :? E96 pC>J 5FC:?8 E96 z@C62? (2C] w6 C646:G65 E96 qC@?K6 $E2C] !6?46’D D@? :D 2 |2C:?6 @77:46C] !6?46’D D@?\:?\=2H D6CG6D :? E96 }2GJ] %CF>A[ 3J 4@?EC2DE[ 92D D92C65 =:EE=6 25>:C2E:@? 7@C E96 >:=:E2CJ] %CF>A 92D C676CC65 E@ 72==6? D@=5:6CD 2D “=@D6CD” 2?5 “DF4<6CD]” %CF>A @A6?=J >@4<65 E96 =2E6 $6?] y@9? |4r2:? @7 pC:K@?2 2?5 9:D D6CG:46 :? ':6E?2>[ :?4=F5:?8 2D 2 AC:D@?6C @7 H2C]k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]=66]?6E^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^66faa2ee\46ec\``65\3c63\_f776c3c7a5gQm$E6A96? {] r2CE6Ci z2>2=2 w2CC:D 4@F=5 =62C? 7C@> |:<6 !6?46’D DF3A@6?2 5676?D6k^2mk^Am

kAm!6?46 =67E ?@ 5@F3E H96C6 96 DE2?5D @? E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 DE2?5:?8 FA E@ #FDD:2] “%96 H2C :? &<C2:?6 :D ?@E @FC H2C[ 3FE 7C665@> :D @FC 7:89E]” w6 42==65 p>6C:42 E96 2CD6?2= @7 56>@4C24J] w6 E@=5 u@I }6HD’ %F4<6C r2C=D@? “%96C6 :D ?@ C@@> 7@C !FE:? 2A@=@8:DED :? E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ] %9:D :D ?@E p>6C:42’D H2C[ 3FE :7 !FE:? :D ?@E DE@AA65 2?5 E96 D@G6C6:8? ?2E:@? @7 &<C2:?6 :D ?@E C6DE@C65 BF:4<=J[ 96 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ >@G6 E@H2C5 @FC }p%~ 2==:6D[ 2?5 p>6C:42 H@F=5 E96? 36 42==65 FA@? E@ D6?5 @FC @H?]”k^Am

kAm%CF>A 92D 72G@C65 2 &]$] H:E95C2H2= 7C@> }p%~ 2?5 C646?E=J D2:5 “E96 8C62E6DE E9C62E E@ (6DE6C? 4:G:=:K2E:@? E@52J :D ?@E #FDD:2] xE’D AC@323=J[ >@C6 E92? 2?JE9:?8 6=D6[ @FCD6=G6D 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96 9@CC:3=6 &$p\92E:?8 A6@A=6 C6AC6D6?E:?8 FD]”k^Am

kAm!6?46 :D 4@?G:?465 36EE6C 52JD 2C6 29625 2?5 E92E p>6C:42 ?665D E@ 92G6 2 8@G6C?>6?E 2D 8@@5 2D :ED A6@A=6]k^Am

kAm!6?46 56D4C:365 9:>D6=7 2D 2 r9C:DE:2?[ 2 4@?D6CG2E:G6 2?5 2 #6AF3=:42? :? E92E @C56C] x? 2? :?E6CG:6H[ x 2D<65 !6?46 H96C6 36:?8 2? p>6C:42? 7:E @? E92E =:DE] “x 766= G6CJ AC@F5 E@ 36 2? p>6C:42?] x 56D4C:365 >JD6=7 3J >J G2=F6D 2D 2 r9C:DE:2?[ 2 4@?D6CG2E:G6[ 2?5 2 #6AF3=:42? :? E92E @C56C] qFE F?56CA:??:?8 2== @7 :E[ x 2> 2 AC@F5 p>6C:42?] x AC@>:D6 J@F E92E]”k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]=66]?6E^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^4g5fgefc\557_\de46\367c\56g`4aghf3e3Qm$]t] rFAAi |:<6 !6?46 5@6D?VE 92G6 2 AC2J6C @7 H:??:?8k^2mk^Am

kAmp?E:\%CF>A6CD 2?5 }6G6C %CF>A6CD >:89E ?@E E9:?< !6?46 A2DD6D E96 AFC:EJ E6DE] %96J >:89E 36 ;FDE:7:23=J 2?8CJ E92E 96 92D ?@E C6DA@?565 E@ DF3A@6?2D @C E6DE:7:65] (9:=6 :E >2J 36 2 =@H 32C[ E96J D9@F=5 7:?5 4@>7@CE :? E92E !6?46 DE@@5 FA E@ %CF>A H96? :E ECF=J >2EE6C65] “x 925 >256 2 AC@>:D6 E@ E96 p>6C:42? A6@A=6 E@ DFAA@CE 2?5 5676?5 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?[ 2?5 x H2D 56E6C>:?65 E@ <66A :E[” 96 HC@E6 :? 9:D 3@@< @7 E96 y2?] e[ a_a`[ 4@?7C@?E2E:@? H:E9 %CF>A]k^Am

kAm%96 G2=F6D 2?5 A@=:4:6D E92E A2DE #6AF3=:42? AC6D:56?ED 92G6 6DA@FD65[ 2?5 E92E !6?46 :D 6>F=2E:?8[ 92G6 366? H:??6CD E9C@F89@FE E96 A2CEJ’D >@56C? 9:DE@CJ] !C6D:56?E #@?2=5 #6282? 925 2 ebT 2AAC@G2= C2E:?8 H96? 96 =67E @77:46] v6@C86 (] qFD9[ H9@ 36=:6G65 :? “4@>A2DD:@?2E6 4@?D6CG2E:D>[” H2D E96 =2DE #6AF3=:42? AC6D:56?E E@ H:? E96 A@AF=2C G@E6]k^Am

kAmr@?G6CD6=J[ 6=64E:@? 56?:2=:D> 2?5 A@=:E:42= :?DE23:=:EJ :D 2 C62= =@D6C H:E9 E96 p>6C:42? 6=64E@C2E6] x DE:== 36=:6G6 %CF>A H:== 36 E96 a_ac #6AF3=:42? ?@>:?66] x 2> 2=D@ F?56C ?@ :==FD:@? E92E E96 v~! 32D6 :D 6G6? :?E6C6DE65 :? 6DE23=:D9>6?E 2AAC@2496D[ 3FE E96J D9@F=5 8:G6 E96> 2?5 !6?46 2 D64@?5 =@@<]k^Am

kAm%96 C@25 29625 7@C E96 v~! :D?’E 23@FE >2<:?8 3:8 564:D:@?D] %96 7FEFC6 :D :? E96 D>2== 49@:46D[ =:<6 2 AC:>2CJ G@E6[ E92E >2J 92G6 3:8 4@?D6BF6?46D 2?5 >2J C6G62= E96>D6=G6D E@ 36 @7 4CF4:2= :>A@CE2?46 =2E6C]k^Am

kAmx 9@A6 #6AF3=:42? AC:>2CJ G@E6CD 5@ E96 D2>6 2D x E6== >J E66?286 52F89E6Ci |2<6 8@@5 49@:46D]k^Am