Mother Jones has an article on speculation that Mitch Daniels could run for President. Given the publication, I think we can safely assume that the author would prefer that any Republican nominee lose the 2012 election. With that bias in mind, the author identifies some weak spots in Daniels’ resume:
#Privatizing the toll road and awarding the contract to a foreign company.
#Being a Washington insider — “Dick Cheney’s Dick Cheney”
#Being instrumental in the Bush tax cuts that led us to big deficits.
#Being disastrously wrong about the cost of the Iraq War as Director of the OMB.
#Being way off the mark with the prediction, in 1994, that the market would correct rising health care costs.
A lot of these things are features, rather than bugs, when it comes to landing the Republican nomination, however they might play in the general election.
In a hypothetical primary, I think Daniels’ conservative weak spots would be his failure to wear religion on his sleeve and his willingness to raise taxes (see, e.g., the Indiana sales tax increase as well as his other various tax increase proposals that ultimately were not adopted.)
Not that it should matter, but I think he would be about a foot shorter than Mr. Obama.
He looks like a young Montgomery Burns.
Other than those two irrelevancies, everything you just said. On the Iraq War, I think he said one *b*illion, when he should have said a few *tr*illion.
Irrelevancy? Who was our last President who stood 4′ 11″? John Adams? Or did Martin van Buren have childhood rickets?
Seriously, never say never, and be careful betting against the money boys, but it sure looks like he’s on the wrong horse. That was a pretty breezy dismissal of Palin on MJ’s part, but no matter: it’s obvious that what remains of GOP power owes everything to the whack-job wing, and nothing to David Brooks, and if they manage to make decent gains in 2010 it’ll be even more so. The Keep Capitalism Free and Rapacious wing will not get away with hinting to the Teabaggers that Palin’s in line for State. And it’s gonna be easier to find a Republican candidate in favor of Free Abortions for All than to find one campaigning on Cap & Trade and raising taxes, so he’s got no natural advantages.
He’s a pure fantasy candidate, attractive to people because Mark Sanford and Bobby Jindal already crapped out. And he won’t just be covered by the fluffers on Indy teevee and at the Racist Star. People will be digging deeper than the Toll Road deal.
But Doug, “he doesn’t wear religion on his sleeve”? You’re implying that Mammon-worship doesn’t qualify as a religion?
I haven’t read the Mother Jones article, but there is a lot about Daniels that could be used against him in a Presidential campaign that you haven’t listed. Plus, he could have some family values type issues. Not saying he does, but he could.
Wow, Doghouse. What you write there almost makes me feel sympathy for the Republican Party. And as for the author…