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).