Why Pence as VP?

Most pundits opine that The Donald picked Pence as a sop to conservatives--which Pence might well be.

But that's not what I think.  I think Trump picked Pence because Pence is a vanilla guy (albeit fairly conservative.)

Think of the other rumored possibles such as Gingrich and Christie.  Why didn't they make the cut?

Because THEY draw attention, which would distract attention from The Donald.  Pence will not draw attention after last night's speech.  None at all; and that's the way The Donald wants it.  UPDATE:  Wiggy calls this exactly the way I do!!)

Need more?  Watch the CBS interview of The Donald and Pence just after the announcement.  (IIRC, it was Ms. Stahl doing the questioning.)  Pence wasn't allowed to answer questions without The Donald opening his trap and stepping all over Pence.

Or look at this item from Leon Wolf.  The Donald's unquenchable desire for attention shows up here, although it's between the lines:

...in response to the news that Cruz was going to make a speech that did not explicitly endorse him, Trump intentionally chose to escalate the situation by leaking the news to friendly delegations and instructing them to boo Cruz to make this a bigger deal that it otherwise would have been. If Trump's delegates had not booed and caused a ruckus, but instead had remained silent or applauded at Cruz's exhortation to vote for down ticket races, everyone today would be talking about Pence and his speech, and the discussion would be about positive things associated with Trump and Pence and how they are going to move forward after the convention to  at least possible victory....

Wolf almost got it.  Wolf's smart; eventually, he'll come to the same conclusion:  there is no ego on Earth--even Obozo's--which surpasses that of The Donald.

Pray for the country.