Posted on 09/23/2009 2:47:27 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
INDIANAPOLIS | Did Hoosiers get a first look last week at The Ticket?
Mitch Daniels. Jeb Bush. 2012?
Both Republicans frequently deny seeking higher office, but each man also told The Times the other would be a strong candidate for a presidential run.
"If he wants it, sure," Bush said of Daniels' national prospects.
"I honestly believe he is the best governor in the country in terms of the courage of his convictions, intelligence, strategic thinking," Bush said.
At the same time, Daniels said he's disappointed Bush says he's ruled out a future in government.
"I understand his answer, but I hope one day he'll rule it in," Daniels said.
"I think, honestly, he's the best I've seen in either party. He's smart, very principled, very open-minded, very practical, and he's proven in both private and public life that he can get results," Daniels said of Bush.
Daniels, an Indianapolis Republican who won re-election in 2008, is barred by term limits from running for governor again in 2012. Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George H. W. Bush, served as governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007.
Bush now heads the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which promotes school-reform plans, as he did at Indiana's Education Roundtable in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
"I can tell him there's life after being governor," Bush said of Daniels. "It may not be as cool as being governor, but there's life after that."
Speaking to reporters after the event, Daniels and Bush looked comfortable standing together at the same podium, each wearing a single-breasted dark suit and blue shirt. While Bush stands a full head taller than Daniels, their friendly rapport was evident in the casual back-and-forth conversation between the two Republicans.
Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock says he hopes both men, but especially Daniels, will seriously consider a national run in 2012.
"I would love to see Gov. Daniels do it. He has so many qualities that this country is absolutely crying out for right now," Mourdock said.
And with Daniels at the top of the ticket, Mourdock sees Bush as a good pick for VP.
"When you start talking about vice presidents, oftentimes it isn't so much what they can do, it's what can they bring," Mourdock said.
In addition to Florida's 27 electoral votes, Mourdock said Bush also brings an experienced "Bush organization" that's already put two family members in the White House. Daniels was budget director under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003.
But Purdue University political scientist William Shaffer cautions it's probably too early to be speculating on 2012.
"That's a long way away. Who would have thought at this point as far in advance of the 2008 election that Barack Obama would even be a candidate," Shaffer said. "The world will change presidential politics between now and then."
But should he run, Daniels' biggest problem is that he's largely unknown. Shaffer said.
"That's one of the big hurdles, obviously. If somebody jumps in, they really have to become known. You'd think a governor of a state would be, but they're not, they're really not," Shaffer said.
At the same time, Daniels' relative national anonymity could also prove to be an asset, Shaffer said.
"I think part of it reflects a weakness of the Republican Party right at this point in time. Mitch Daniels might look good to a lot of people when you also mention Sarah Palin, for example," he said.
Daniels, who in his final re-election ad vowed that "governor is the only office I've run for or ever will," left the state Saturday for a 10-day trade mission to Asia. He's hoping to secure new jobs and investments in Indiana from companies based in China and Japan.
On the one hand, that is what governors do. On the other, foreign negotiations sure look rather presidential.
AMEN!!! It is instant ‘LOSS’ for any ticket with any Bush.
Mitch Daniels couldn’t even lead the IN GOP to a majority... but he sure did cause them to LOSE it.
Losing the majority in Indiana had nothing to do with Mitch Daniels, and everything to do with Barack Obama.
Again, that criteria pretty much excludes every GOP leader in the country. They all dropped the ball in ‘06, and again in ‘08.
Many did drop the ball... but not all. Some tried, some didn’t bother. Fact is, Daniels is a terrible party leader, and someone like that would be a disaster as President for either reclaiming the majority or keeping us from slipping further back. Pawlenty of MN is equally as guilty (he had close to a 2/3rds GOP House majority in his state, and 6 years later, we now are at or below 1/3rd in both bodies). It’s no wonder the media trumpets the candidacies of “R” Governors with the worst track records for helping the party gain seats. Huckster and Slick Willard were even worse than these two. Palin wasn’t in long enough to judge her performance, it largely remained status quo in her state (but the GOP there has two factions, and the RINO wing joined with the Democrats to undermine her).
Daniels has been an excellent governor. Even though our state has been whacked by auto industry unemployment (we have a lot of plants and suppliers here) our state budget is still in the black.
He’s revamped our Bureau of Motor Vehicles, gotten property tax reform through the legislature, beaten back the state employee union, kept tax rates low, and had NO scandals.
He is a fiscal conservative, but pretty silent on social issues. He got reelected last November overwhelmingly even though Indiana went narrowly for Obama. He worked for Reagan, then Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals after Reagan left office, then as Bush II’s budget director in his first term, before returning here and running for governor.
Indiana’s finances were in a horrible mess before he was elected. He slashed and cut, sold the toll road to a European consortium and is funding road repairs with the interest on the money, did a one-year tax increase which has since gone, told state employees that there will be NO pay raises, and privatized some areas of government. Now we are in the black, even in the middle of the recession, unlike most other states.
He has been tireless in getting companies to locate here and makes several trade mission trips to Asia and Europe every year.
I don’t know that he could be persuaded to run. He is very protective of his daughters and his wife, and I am not sure he wants to put them through the meat-grinder of a campaign against the Chicago thugs.
If he runs, however, I would support him. He really knows budgeting and finance and might be able to cut a lot of spending in Washington. There was a reason Bush nicknamed him “The Blade.”
Jeb’s stooges seem to be continually testing the waters, don’t they?
This is the kind of crap that is killing the Republican party. We can’t seem to come up with anything but recycled candidates. Democrats have been winning with relative unknowns (Clinton, Obama, even Carter), while we keep throwing out Bushes, McCains, Doles, Romneys, etc. We need some new blood!
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see our candidate slate in 2012 look very similar to the candidate slate of the last two elections.
W is why I am not longer a Republican, I don’t think another Bush is going to be very appealing to the American people concidering the mess W made.
Stay out da Bushes.
That's true if you're an illegal alien, especially a Hispanic one.
Do you support Lugar, the biggest backer of all UN infringement on our sovereignty?
Lugar! (Said in like Jerry Seinfeld said “Newman!”)
Lugar is consumed by jealousy that he never got to be secretary of state, bitterness towards conservatives, and an inflated sense of his intelligence. I also think he is getting senile.
No, I don’t support him. I am hoping he retires, because the Indiana GOP won’t allow a primary challenge against him.
The big problem, deport, is that he he really short, sort of James Madison size. Not sure that would work on the TV debate stage against Obama.
He is witty, with a dry sense of humor, though, and since Obama has zero sense of humor Daniels could probably get him to reveal his whining and petty side real quick.
Answer: No.
it is too bad Jeb’s father was president. Jeb is actually the “smart one” except for that blind spot of illegal immigration amnesty. (must be his real estate developer background)
The big problem, deport, is that he he really short,
I looked up some google images and that was my summation along with maybe a little ruddiness. I’m not sure that will play good on tv, etc. I immediately thought of Perot with regards to being short. Image is a big seller to the public today.
Jeb would have been the 2000 nominee if he won in 1994. Thanks to Dubya, Jeb’s Presidential desires are squashed at least until 2016.
Today, Public Policy Polling released a poll on a potential Jeb Vs Obama matchup. Obama crushes Jeb 50-37. Plus, Jeb’s national approval rating is at 22% approve and 45% disapprove. People at still mad at Dubya.
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