He has been mocked and criticized for it, but Vice President Mike Pence's personal conduct policy is now looking downright sensible amid the landslide of sexual misconduct scandals, The Washington Times reports.
The "Pence Rule" — never be alone with a woman in any setting and don't attend events where alcohol is being served without Mrs. Pence by his side.
"It goes without saying that you don't have to establish the rules that Mike Pence has established in order to behave appropriately at all times," Joseph Backholm, president of the Family Policy Institute, told the Times. "But the world would be a much better place and much less complicated if everybody conducted themselves like Mike Pence does."
What was once thought prudish is now quite prudent.
"It's as much or more about preserving the reputations of himself and other women," Jay Richards, research professor at The Catholic University of America, told the Times. "A simple guardrail is absolutely reasonable if you want to prevent the rumor mill from starting, let alone even worse sexual transgressions."
The "Pence Rule" wasn't unique to Pence; in fact it was a variation of a personal policy of Rev. Billy Graham. But it certainly opened up Pence to criticism and being a hot topic on social media as well as the occasional source of late night TV show comedy.
That's OK, says Backholm.
"In Mike Pence's life, every woman wins. His wife wins, his daughters win," he told the Times.
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