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Mitch Daniels Is Unelectable
Riehl World View ^ | 5/20/2011 | Dan Riehl

Posted on 05/21/2011 9:03:11 AM PDT by Qbert

With friends like Conor with one N, Mitch Daniels probably doesn't need enemies within the conservative base.

Everything is upside down in the Republican primaries. The GOP establishment is rallying behind a principled candidate with a proven conservative track record. That's upsetting the conservative base: on talk radio and right wing blogs, they concede that the man in question governs as a staunch conservative, but insist his candidacy isn't viable because he lacks charisma and electability.

Gee, Daniels is making headlines, again. He has a real gift for that.

Indiana Republican governor Mitch Daniels was hit in the forehead by a swinging door after concluding a workout Friday afternoon, prompting an injury that required 16 stitches.

Naturally, a silly boy like Friedersdorf would love Daniels. Conor with one N doesn't understand, let alone effort to advance conservatism, while doing more harm, than good, to it when he purportedly does try. As for Daniels, time after time he has proved himself gaffe-prone and self-defeating whenever his profile rises to the level of national politics. I don't care how right he is for Indiana, or what his record may, or may not be. He's unelectable, even if the so-called elite's calculations claim he is the answer to all things Republican in 2012.

Ideology aside, if we can learn anything from watching John McCain stumble and bumble his way through the 2008 general election, it should be that a self-destructive, not truly ready for prime-time, ultimately uninspiring and unsympathetic figure will not do well against Obama. Whatever Obama is, or isn't, when it comes to performing on the campaign trail, with all the help he gets from the media, it's as if he can do no wrong.

The GOP can not afford a 2012 nominee who has consistently demonstrated an uncanny ability to say and do precisely the wrong thing to the wrong people at the wrong time. If anything, Daniels makes Romney's relatively weak political judgment look strong by comparison. The Indiana Governor is unelectable and, frankly, I'm not interested in hearing what a great conservative he is, allegedly.

It's time for the so-called elites to figure out that much of the opposition to Daniels has little to do with ideology and much to do with his earned perception of being unelectable in 2012.  To the extent things may be turned upside down right now, it's that the grassroots get that and the establishment GOP hasn't figured it out. But then, perhaps that isn't all that surprising given what we've seen from them for the last decade, or more.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 2012; daniels; mitchdaniels
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To: John W

apples and oranges.

mitch is a closet rino.

sarah is not a rino.


21 posted on 05/21/2011 9:28:26 AM PDT by ken21 (liberal + rino progressive media hate palin, bachman, cain...)
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To: Qbert
The GOP can not afford a 2012 nominee who has consistently demonstrated an uncanny ability to say and do precisely the wrong thing to the wrong people at the wrong time. If anything, Daniels makes Romney's relatively weak political judgment look strong by comparison. The Indiana Governor is unelectable and, frankly, I'm not interested in hearing what a great conservative he is, allegedly.

??? What is this guy talking about? Conservatism doesn't matter? My concern with Daniels is that he may not be willing to fight hard enough but he is certainly electable.

22 posted on 05/21/2011 9:29:31 AM PDT by plain talk
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To: Aria
when was the last time the shorter candidate won?

2004.

23 posted on 05/21/2011 9:30:25 AM PDT by Charles Henrickson
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To: ken21

Disagree.


24 posted on 05/21/2011 9:32:28 AM PDT by John W (Natural-born US citizen since 1955)
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To: John W
Mitch and Sarah seem to generate a lot of vitriol. Wonder why?

They're both pretty short.

25 posted on 05/21/2011 9:33:44 AM PDT by Charles Henrickson ("James Madison, Father of the Constitution, FORGET IT, you're too short to be president!")
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To: Qbert
With friends like Conor with one N, Mitch Daniels probably doesn't need enemies within the conservative base. -- Dan Riehl

I didn't realize onomastics and orthography were going to be issues this time around.

Mitch Daniels can probably withstand enemies who spell "real" with an I and an H.

Seriously, mocking how people spell their names isn't exactly taking the high road to respect as a pundit.

Ideology aside, if we can learn anything from watching John McCain stumble and bumble his way through the 2008 general election, it should be that a self-destructive, not truly ready for prime-time, ultimately uninspiring and unsympathetic figure will not do well against Obama.

If the right candidate isn't out there, he or she isn't out there.

Sure, another McCain or Dole would lose. So would another Goldwater -- and by a larger margin.

Daniels is clearly not the most inspiring of imaginable candidates, but if you're waiting for Superman or Superwoman, you'll be waiting a long time.

26 posted on 05/21/2011 9:34:06 AM PDT by x
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To: bcsco

Thanks for info on the justice.

I do think that the “stumbling” characterization is valid (okay, maybe the stitches thing is unfair). I don’t think we’ve ever had a POTUS who has blatantly distorted facts with impunity the way that Obama has these past two years. What will Daniels do when Obama and the MSM flat out lie about everything in 2012- will he vocally attack any of this, or will he humbly stand aside and view Obama as the “fine fellow” as McCain did?


27 posted on 05/21/2011 9:35:49 AM PDT by Qbert ("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)
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To: Qbert

Take this as a cue, Mitch, and get out now. DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE ASS.


28 posted on 05/21/2011 9:36:07 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: John W
Mitch and Sarah seem to generate a lot of vitriol. Wonder why?

Mitch? Vitriol? More than Mitt or Huck or Rudy or Newt?

His people will be very happy to hear that he generates any reaction at all.

29 posted on 05/21/2011 9:39:58 AM PDT by x
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To: x

“Daniels is clearly not the most inspiring of imaginable candidates, but if you’re waiting for Superman or Superwoman, you’ll be waiting a long time.”

Says who?


30 posted on 05/21/2011 9:40:54 AM PDT by Qbert ("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)
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To: bcsco
The Commission gave him three tip top people (based on their credentials). Now if Mitch had undertaken a bit of waterboarding he might well have discovered how utterly alien the candidates were.

I don't know if he can reject the candidates and demand more of them, but like any job selection where you depend on a review committee's judgment you will quite regularly get a parade of people whose real abilities lie somewhere else than in the job you are interviewing them for.

I think elections are much better. They help widen the electorate.

31 posted on 05/21/2011 9:42:19 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Qbert

...thing is, much of the opposition to Daniels comes precisely from his ideology...and the lack thereof is why the beltway loves him so much. If you nominate a staunch pro-American conservative like Cain or Bachmann, it becomes much harder for big government globalists in the Republican party to ply their trade.


32 posted on 05/21/2011 9:42:39 AM PDT by Yet_Again
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To: Charles Henrickson

Oh yes -forgot about that, but it was John effing Kerry. Besides, W wasn’t that much shorter.

I’d like our shorter than Obama candidate to be Sarah.


33 posted on 05/21/2011 9:42:43 AM PDT by Aria ( "If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.")
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To: Qbert

The stumbling characterization may be valid as a subsidiary issue, something that tips the scales when all else is close to equal. But we need meatier stuff, such as the supreme court nomination, and other viable decisions in office.

Keep in mind, comparisons to Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, may work with some of us, but there are many today of voting age who wouldn’t have a clue as to what we mean.


34 posted on 05/21/2011 9:43:35 AM PDT by bcsco
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To: Qbert
Says who?

The polls, for one.

35 posted on 05/21/2011 9:44:19 AM PDT by x
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To: muawiyah

I don’t disagree with you on elections. But the fact that a commission gives a governor 3, or 4, or whatever, candidates for a position, it’s still that governor’s responsibility to look at the facts and come up with a wise decision. And if the qualifications aren’t sound (or debatable on issues), then the governor shouldn’t be afraid to toss them all out and tell the commission to go back to the drawing board. There’s too much to lose, otherwise.


36 posted on 05/21/2011 9:46:38 AM PDT by bcsco
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To: x

Huh? What polls?


37 posted on 05/21/2011 9:49:22 AM PDT by Qbert ("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)
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To: Qbert

Watch this: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/02/11/gov_mitch_daniels_debt_is_the_new_red_menace.html

Now try and tell me that Mitch Daniels is “unelectable”.

If he did half as well in a debate with the current GOP field, he would zoom to the top contender over night.


38 posted on 05/21/2011 9:49:59 AM PDT by TruthHound ("He who does not punish evil commands it to be done." --Leonardo da Vinci)
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To: bcsco

I mean stumbling more in the verbal sense.


39 posted on 05/21/2011 9:53:59 AM PDT by Qbert ("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)
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To: John W
Mitch and Sarah seem to generate a lot of vitriol. Wonder why?

Sarah Palin has more vitriol thrown at her in one day than Mitch Daniels has received in his lifetime.

Last I checked the beltway elite and lib media love Daniels.
40 posted on 05/21/2011 9:55:23 AM PDT by nhwingut (Palin '12... Accept No Other)
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