WS Chronicle

Photo by Todd Luck

BY TODD LUCK 

THE CHRONICLE

Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence visited Winston-Salem again on Tuesday, Aug. 30, speaking to followers at the Millennium Center.

Pence, a former U.S. representative and current Indiana governor, spoke previously in the Twin City at a much bigger rally with his running mate, Donald Trump, at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex in July. Polls in North Carolina show the race between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to be neck and neck. Trump, Pence and their campaign surrogates have been making repeated trips to the Tar Heel state

Pence’s rally was a smaller one, filling much of the Millennium ballroom, but still had several local politicians speak before he came out.  Forsyth school board member Lida Calvert-Hayes talked about starting her own business, S&L Painting and Decorating, and touted Trump’s business background as one that America needs.

“It’s time for a change and we are the only people who can make that change,” she said.

Attorney general candidate Buck Newton and 13th district U.S. House candidate Ted Budd spoke. The crowd booed mentions of letting more Syrian refugees fleeing from ISIS into the country, and broke out into chants of “lock her up,” referring to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“Well, if I can find some North Carolina laws she violated, I’ll do my best,” Newton told the crowd.

Though polls show Trump is disliked by the majority of voters and trailing Clinton nationally, Pence said that the Republican Party is united behind him.

“Now this movement is united, this party is uniting and we’re going to make Donald Trump the next president,” said Pence.

Pence described Trump as “something new and different” that voters want. He said Trump was a “leader” and “truth teller.” Trump has made continuous headlines for his controversial statements. Among his latest was a tweet that said the killing of NBA superstar Dwyane Wade’s cousin illustrated his arguments on why African-Americans will vote for him.

Pence attacked Clinton, accusing her of leaving Americans to die in the Benghazi terrorist attacks. Numerous Congressional investigations into the attacks did not fault her for the casualties. He also accused her of having a “pay to play” scheme as secretary of state with Clinton Foundation donors getting access to the State Department, which the Clinton campaign has denied.

He promised Trump would repeal all of President Barack Obama’s executive orders, sign a moratorium on any new “red tape” on businesses, lower taxes “across the board” for businesses and individuals, and exploit all domestic energy resources, especially coal.

Pence made little specific outreach to minorities while speaking to the mostly white crowd. He did say that Trump has been reaching out to all Americans and will make the country great again for everyone. He accused Democrats of being racially divisive. A Public Policy Poll released on Tuesday showed that Clinton has 73 percent support among African-Americans and Latinos, while Trump only has nine percent.

Pence promised to return to North Carolina many times before Election

Day“.Make no mistake

about it, North Carolina will loom large in the des-tiny of this nation,” said Pence.