Why the Pence pick?
Numerous reasons but at the top of the list is that it reassures the conservative base. Also, Trump has always said he wants someone with government experience and Pence has both D.C. experience and has governed at the Executive branch level as Governor of Indiana.
And he balances Trump out in other ways. He endorsed Ted Cruz in the primary and (strongly) criticized Trump for his call to ban Muslims from entering the country.
It seems the “Dump Trump” movement has died a quick and final death. Those folks were pushing a proposal designed to stop Trump in the days leading up to the Republican convention next week. The proposal would unbind Republican delegates from how citizens in various states voted and allow them to vote instead based on their personal consciences. They kept forgetting the millions of voters who went to the polls for Trump in the primaries.
The Huffington Post in a very critical article against Pence called him “Sarah Palin, without the charisma.” They meant it as a cheap shot but some Pence supporters may like the description.
The new Trump/Pence campaign logo is being universally criticized in social media. My humble opinion is they certainly could have done better.
And the final irony is that Pence is a Hoosier and so is U.S. district judge Gonzalo P. Curiel whom Trump has criticized in the Trump University lawsuit.