What it was like covering Mike Pence's doomed presidential campaign: Reporter's notebook

For 143 days, it was my job to follow former Vice President Mike Pence on the campaign trail.

That meant I was inside the Las Vegas ballroom on Saturday -- not quite with a front row seat to history, but close -- when he surprised the audience with the announcement that he was suspending his 2024 bid for the White House less than five months after it started.

In the news business, we typically prep background material that can be used for major breaking stories, like a notable death or a candidate dropping out....