Mitch Daniels is staying neutral in the Senate primary.
Also Daniels said he is open to running for President for 2012. Could “My Man Mitch” be the “Man” for conservatives in 2012?
when Bush ran in 2000, the REP GOV conference informally agreed on ONE candidate and got behind him. The rest is history.
If they do the same this time, Daniels might be out. I keep askin’, if Palin doesn’t make a big push in NHampshire ... and it turns into a Pawlenty v. Romney battle, how motivated will I be, or should I be, to work the rural grassroots for T-Paw?
For Palin, the obvious concern, of course, is that NH conservatives are “unchurched” types and also tend to have a aversion to candidates that aren’t “Easterners”. There is a subtle bigotry there that is not so subtle.
At the same time, the populist instinct is very strong, hence Pat Buchanan beating Dole in ‘96. The McCain victories in ‘00 and ‘08 are often painted as “moderate Republicans and independents” flexing their muscle, but he pulled support from many of the same folks who were Buchanan ‘92 & ‘96. (McCain’s military patriotism vs. GWB & Mitt.) So Palin could work a strategy there around that idea.
He’s definitely a possibility.