CLEVELAND, Ohio — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is framing the November presidential race as crucial to defining the makeup of the Supreme Court for the next 40 years.
The GOP vice presidential nominee says voters must ensure that it's Donald Trump picking the next high court justices.%
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The Indiana governor says Democrat Hillary Clinton would choose justices who would take unconstitutional actions.
He said it's crucial to elect Trump to protect the Second Amendment, "the sanctity of life" and other liberties.
Pence said in his speech at the party's convention that Republicans will retake the presidency in November because they're being honest with Americans about the stakes in the election — and the choice facing voters.
Pence used the speech to tell his life story, paying tribute to his mother in the audience and said his dad would be surprised at the nomination if he were still alive.
Donald Trump came onstage as Pence finished speaking. They shook hands and stood together briefly onstage before Trump exited.
Pence took a moment onstage with his family to smile at the audience before exiting.
Earlier in the evening, Sen. Ted Cruz tried to link arms with Republicans at the party's national convention on Wednesday, but was booed lustily by delegates when he ended his speech without offering Donald Trump his endorsement — or even saying he would vote for the New York billionaire.
As he appeared on stage, Cruz basked in a minute-long standing ovation. Cruz finished second to Trump in the crowded Republican primary campaign and congratulated the GOP nominee on his victory.
But as close as Cruz came to saying he wanted Trump to win the White House came when he said, "I want to see the principles that our party believes in prevail in November."
Cruz didn't tell the convention crowd that he plans to vote for Trump. Nor did he ask his supporters, hundreds of whom encouraged him to run for president in four years at an event on Wednesday afternoon, to vote for the newly minted Republican nominee.
Interrupted by chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump," Cruz paused and said with a smile, "I appreciate the enthusiasm of the New York delegation."
But as Cruz closed his remarks, and as the crowd of more than 2,000 delegates at the Quicken Loans Arena waited for Cruz to say something — anything — kind about Trump, he demurred.
"And to those listening, please, don't stay home in November," Cruz said. "Stand and speak, and vote your conscience. Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution."
The delegates responded with angry boos, and Cruz backer and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli escorted Heidi Cruz off the convention floor as she was heckled by Trump delegates.
Georgia well represented at RNC Wednesday
Georgia was front and center once again at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night, as former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is slated to address the convention.
Gingrich use his political clout to get more people on the Trump train.
"Donald Trump is Donald Trump. He's one-third Andrew Jackson, one-third Theodore Roosevelt and one-third P.T. Barnum. And the energy level he's got, the aggressiveness, the constant selling -- it's who he is and you really get what you see," Gingrich told Channel 2’s Justin Farmer.
Once on the short list to be Trump's running mate, Gingrich said he is now focused on getting Trump elected, and keeping Hillary Clinton out of the White House.
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"The gap between the dishonesty of Hillary and the old establishment in terms of national security, and Donald Trump's candor and directness is huge," Gingrich said.
Farmer also spoke one-on-one with U.S. Sen. David Perdue Wednesday, who's leading the charge in Georgia for party unity.
"We all have our differences but once we leave here, we have one obligation: That's to get over it, let's get united and that's what we have in the Georgia delegation here and for the most part in the convention as well," Perdue said.
Tuesday night, Sen. Perdue sat on the convention floor with the Georgia delegates and said he was blown away by their enthusiasm.
"We have 76 delegates, we're the eighth largest state. We forget that sometimes, but this is an important delegation, they're united, they're energized and they're here every night," Perdue told Farmer.
"I would say for people that are on the fence a little bit, get off the fence. It's time. This is a huge turning point in our nation," Atlanta resident Teran Bowman told Farmer.
Gov. Deal on Mike Pence
Channel 2 political reporter Lori Geary talked with Gov. Nathan Deal, who says although Mike Pence and Trump have vastly different personalities, he considers them compatible.
Deal said Pence also learned from having to deal with the religious freedom fight that broke out in Georgia as well.
“I think I handled it better than he did, of course,” Deal told Geary.
Deal vetoed the Religious Freedom Bill here in Georgia, siding with opponents who said it would lead to discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Pence signed a similar bill into law in Indiana and then after threats of business boycotts, he went back and signed off on a compromise.
“I think his experience gives him an understanding that there can be issues on the surface that appear to be acceptable that in implementation will have other results,” Deal said. “I think he has learned from his experience in Indiana, I think that's the kind of experience you bring into a vice presidency.”
“Mike Pence doesn't hurt, he's a solid conservative. He might shore up some conservatives who don't feel good about Trump's Republican bona fides,” said Republican strategist Brian Robinson.
Robinson said Pence has little bearing on the campaign.
“Mike Pence is going to be a non-factor in all of this because all of this is going to be around the cult of personality that is Donald Trump,” Robinson said.
“This is a politically arranged marriage that I don't think will last,” said Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson.
Johnson told Geary that Pence shores up independents for Hillary Clinton.
“They picked a guy in Mike Pence who compared Obamacare to 9/11. This is the guy who led the biggest LGBT religious freedom bill that cost the state millions and millions of dollars,” Johnson said.
Millennials key to the presidency
One Georgia congressman told Channel 2 Action News that millennials will be key to this year’s presidential race.
Rep. Buddy Carter told Channel 2’s Dave Huddleston that he will work to get young GOP voters to the polls, because without them, it's another four years of Democrats in the White House.
“It's either Hillary Clinton, who's a habitual liar who can't be trusted with our national security, or Donald Trump, an outsider, a businessman, someone who will shake up Washington,” Carter told Huddleston.
The first-time congressman from Savannah is pulling no punches as to why Republicans need to rally behind Trump, especially young voters.
"Millennials are key and something we focused on within the Republican Party and trying to reach them and help them understand, and us understand. Look, we are all in this together," Carter said. "At the end of the day it's about America."
Bruce Levell is executive director of the National Coalition for Diversity for Trump. He told Huddleston now that Trump is in Cleveland, look for him to be much more of a unifier -- not beholden to anyone but the voters.
"For a candidate to come out (with) no super-PAC, no special interest group, no lobbyist tied to him, is very refreshing," Levell said.
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