Posted on 03/09/2010 4:08:36 PM PST by yongin
Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana offered a piece of advice to fellow Republicans: “Lay down the philosophical swords” to begin rebuilding the party and tackle the nation’s immense challenges. But he urged Republicans to not become too emboldened by the discontent in the electorate.
“Somebody said anger is not a strategy,” Mr. Daniels said in an interview today with editors and reporters from The New York Times. “We have to preach that in our own congregations.”
Mr. Daniels, who is in the middle of his second term as governor, said the politics of a midterm election year would likely prevent Republicans and Democrats from having a serious conversation about the future of Social Security, Medicare and other government programs. But those discussions, he said, should be included in the next presidential race.
While his name is often included as a prospective Republican candidate for president, he said repeatedly that he has no intention of seeking the nomination in 2012.
“I really don’t plan to,” Mr. Daniels said. “I really don’t much want to.”
For the future of the party, he said, Republicans should not become “wrapped around the axle” on social issues. He said the Tea Party has had a “net positive” impact on the political discourse by drawing attention to certain issues, but he warned against reading too much into the power of the movement.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Given the fact that all the RINOs are spouting the same variation of the same line today, I’m guessing Michael Steele sent out some talking points.
Let me get this straight, Mitch Daniels is saying that we should lay down our swords, that we should unilaterally disarm ourselves. Is that about right?
Then Mitch offers that we shouldn’t get “wrapped around the axle” on social issues. Hmmm...as in, your stupid conservative values are not worth much?
So, basically, we have old Mitch here telling social conservatives to get lost. Can you imagine Howard Dean or someone telling the Marxists that they should back off on their abortion stance, or that they should be open to domestic drilling in ANWAR, or that they should back off global warming. Just try to imagine that.
Pffft... Mitch Daniels...just another garden-variety RINO.
>>“Lay down the philosophical swords”
>>That’s the worst advice I’ve ever heard.
I’m not certain what he meant by that, but to me it could be good advice. Stop battering our heads on the enemy’s armor. They have the media on their side, along with the 50% of the voters that are really ignorant.
We need banners more than swords right now. Come up with some policies that appeal to the people that work for a living (whether it be as business owners, or as employees) and give us all something to rally around.
Teach the American people what communism is again (since many seem to have forgotten or never learned it) and why it is evil and then make them realize that the Progressives are their enemy too.
The GOP could be America’s Party if they pulled their heads out of their butts and looked around at what middle class Americans want.
Beware of any pol telling you to lay down your swords!
Hey, Mitch, "on the fence" is a very, very bad place to be sitting when the shooting starts.
Pick a side, or shut up and get out of the way.
On his first day in office, Governor Daniels created Indiana's first Office of Management and Budget to look for inefficiencies and cost savings across state government. In 2005, Governor Daniels led the state to its first balanced budget in eight years and turned the $600 million deficit he inherited into a $300 million surplus in a single year. Governor Daniels used this surplus to repay hundreds of millions of dollars the state had borrowed from Indiana's public schools in previous administrations.
If Daniels is considered a RINO on FR, then the Republican Party is doomed.
This spring back, fall forwards crap is for the birds.
Makes it sound like Republicans are to blame to me. Where was Mitch when George Bush tried to reform Social Security and the Democrats squashed that big time? How come no one critisized the Democrats for being obstructionists then?
>> WTF is that?
Juvenile.
So “wise” that he told the propaganda organ of the Communist Party...the NYT, that he is willing to lay down his sword to further their agenda.
More balderdash from our overlords.
There were a lot of people who were part of the Reagan administration. Some were good, others sucked eggs.
Sounds like Mitch is a RINO telling the NYTimes exactly what they want to hear. In fact, the whole interview sounds like the NYTimes found another useful idiot. When will the Times dub him a Party maverick?
Of course, and Daniels was one of the good ones.
Hey Mitch, can you take the "kick me" sign off the backs of Republicans now? By the way, we're justifiably angry at what Obama is doing to this country. Go ask the hundreds of thousands now unemployed. By the way, have you spoken to Paul Ryan lately? You do know that we are putting forth ideas, right? Oh, wait, you wanted to impress the NYTimes, sorry. Better call John McCain, he knows how to do that.
There are a number of people on FR who sound like one of Eric Hoffer’s “true believers”.
There are a number of people on FR who sound like one of Eric Hoffer’s “true believers”.
Imo, a Rino is a pol on the Right who is afraid of the MSM and the DNC.
And Mitch certainly fits that catagory.
Unlike Cheney who he disses to the NYT:
But he said some of Mr. Cheney’s recent comments about the Obama administration had not been helpful for Republicans or in the pursuit of raising the questions about national security.
“There have been occasions where he could have let the argument be made by others,” Mr. Daniels said. He added, “Sometimes his tone isn’t as effective as it could be.”
Now THIS is Rino-speak.
And RINO is the most mis-used and abused word on FR. By the definitions I keep seeing, no one including Reagan would be spared from this label. I repeat, if this is the case for "purity", then the Republican Party is doomed.
No, but since he got a call from George W. a couple of weeks ago he now says he's leaving the door open after having said "definitely no" for a couple of years.
My guess is that Mitch is going to run and has a pretty fair chance of making it across the finish line.
On his first days in office, he also attempted to raise taxes, only to be thwarted by the legislature. That doesn’t sound overly fiscally conservative to me.
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