Editorial: The challenge of the GOP convention: prove Trump can lead

In the race for president of the United States, the Republican Party faces a momentous task this week.

It must demonstrate that it can govern and govern responsibly.

That case has not been effectively made by the party's presumed nominee, neither during the campaign leading to his assumed victory nor in the weeks since his last challenger left the field. Donald Trump's unsettling behaviors and statements are the stuff of political-campaign legend - the wall, the Muslim ban, the insult of Hispanic immigrants, the ridicule of a disabled man, the objectification of women, the encouragement of assaults on protesters. The well-known list goes on. It's so objectionable that it has drawn rebukes and boycotts from many traditional and popular Republicans - ranging from conservative commentator George Will to Illinois Republicans Gov. Bruce Rauner, Sen. Mark Kirk and U.S. Rep. Bob Dold.

For a certain portion of voters, Trump's style and the message have resonated, more for their repudiation of a federal government perceived to be out of touch with everyday citizens than for any depth of substance. Trump has often been described - indeed has sometimes described himself - more as an entertainer than a political thinker.

Now, though, it's time to get serious.

The presumed nominee has taken steps in that direction with his selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to be his running mate.

Pence, whose strong conservative values have, among other acts, led him to sign legislation permitting discrimination against gays and reject needed federal money for preschool education, offers little solace to Republicans staking out a moderate place in the party platform. But, with six terms in Congress in addition to his time at the helm in Indiana, he at least adds some political legitimacy to the ticket and some experience in what it means to govern, both from an executive and a legislative point of view.

One-time Trump vice-presidential contender Newt Gingrich said in a Facebook Live post that Trump's challenge was to choose between "having two pirates on the ticket or having a pirate and a relatively stable, more normal person." In that context, Pence certainly qualifies for stability and normality. The next and greater responsibility will be to demonstrate he can also bring substance.

That is the theme we will watch for in the nights ahead as the Republican Party launches its campaign during four nights of prime-time exposure. Will we see a continuation of divisive, in-your-face provocation or a shift to a productive and thoughtful examination that emphasizes solutions rather than exaggerating problems? An approach that describes how - both in process and result - the Trump-Pence ticket will address legitimate questions about health care, the economy and security that remain for the country after eight years with a Democrat in the White House?

The provocative former will be entertaining enough, to be sure, and may continue to delight a small segment of the population. But we need the productive latter if we are to see a party worthy of protecting the broad and diverse interests of the entire nation.