Jefferson “trembled for” our country when he reflected that “God is just.” We must do the same when confronted with the contrasting speeches tonight of Barack Obama and Mitch Daniels. That our best leaders, such as Mitch Daniels, who tonight delivered the finest response to a State of the Union ever, have chosen not to serve, leaves the country to the second-raters. And if we are led by second rate people, we will become a second rate country.
Roger that.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThere's a difference between reading his speech and watching it. The latter was tedious. All the praise is for the text, but the delivery counts too. It was not good.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHe needs to work on his delivery, he looked like he was boring himself. He makes Mitt look like Jerry Lewis. I seem to remember he didn't run for president because his wife told him no.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"... That our best leaders, such as Mitch Daniels, ..."
I'm as unimpressed with someone labeled "our best leader" who refuses to answer his country's call in her hour of need, as I would be with someone who declined to jump in the lake to save a person drowning, even though he is acknowledged as "the best swimmer in the group".
It's what we 'do' that defines us. Mitch, and Paul Ryan, and Christie, are sitting this one out - that doesn't make them 'best leaders' in my book.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI can't put Ryan on that list. He puts his neck out more than anyone else in Congress and he has an eye on the office of Speaker where we desperately need him. Ryan's a leader and takes a lot of cr*p for being one - including from that 'great conservative' (cough) Newt himself.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMuch more than a "great conservative"! He's a "Reagan conservative"! And you can tell he is because he says so!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDon't be silly - there was no great call for Daniels to run except among some of his colleagues who knew him well.
Christie is well aware he could not win in today's GOP, he is too liberal on social issues and isn't opposed to public employee unions (he only insists they recognize reality on numbers).
Ryan has no administrative experience. After a term or two as Governor in a few years, he will be well qualified - the same applies to Marco Rubio. We have a strong bench coming along with Bob McDonnell and Bobby Jindal, too. But that is the future and we need someone today.
So it is rip the party apart or turn to someone else. Daniels seems the most qualified and least offensive choice.
"Draft Daniels: Let The Healing Begin"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSadly, you are correct. There were any number of high quality men (and women) who had the opportunity to step up to the plate and run this election, and all of them have declined. That is an indictment against them, but also I believe a statement about the level of our political discourse. I fear that the kind of ideological purity tests to which our candidates must now subject themselves, between talk radio and the blogosphere, will continue to discourage quality leaders from stepping up in the future.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSorry. The one to be upset with is Daniels alone. If one thinks he is so great, and the nation needs him so badly to run for President - then his decision not to run is the height of selfishness. If he alone can beat Obama, then what sort of man is he to stay safely in Indiana while others fight the battle?
As for me, I do not get upset at anyone for choosing not to run..nor do I get upset at anyone who chooses to run (and stick around).
I certainly don't want anyone running who is not 100% in it to beat Obama.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMitch can help give us a VAT and slow our decay,
Daniels fan–he’s Tim Pawlenty without the charisma and the consistent conservatism
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Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Mr. Daniels had the "fire in the belly" then he would fight. But he did the reasonable, measured thing and decided the cost and risk were too high to run for Prez.
He is a reasonable fella, y'know, the kind who won't pull cheap theatrics like challenging the media. Your kind of guy, Ms. Charen. A warrior who's not there when the battle starts.
You, too, are a warrior. But excuse me if I take a second rate warrior who answers the Summons of the Trumpet and is mad-dog focused on hurting the other guy. Switching analogies...feel free to remain in love with the guy who is more worried about how he might be hurt and, fully equipped, chooses the locker room over duking it out on the playing field.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMitch comes across as the perfect candidate for a feminized America. He's "sad" that Obama is dividing us. Makes me want to cry. He also executes the classic McCain maneuver of always trashing his side too so he can claim the moral high ground in the middle for himself. So cowardly. Reportedly he wanted to run but his wife vetoed the idea. How appropriate is that?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat color is the sky where a eunuch so whipped by his spouse that he can't step up for the good of the nation is considered a "leader"?!? A patriot rises to the needs of a nation in need, when he would rather stay warm and safe in bed. A patriot does what is necessary because it is necessary and he knows that if he doesn't, no one else will. A patriot is someone who, when his nation is in dire need, doesn't meekly bleat, "Ummmm, yeeeaaaah, about that....listen, the wife isn't too keen on the whole me stepping up for the good of the nation thing and I don't know how many more times I can get her to remarry me, so I'll take a pass on this one, mmmkay? Maybe next time?"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMitt can help manage the decline by enacting the VAT TAX.
I have not been a particular Daniels fan–he’s Tim Pawlenty without the charisma and the consistent conservatism
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It is not the job of the President of the United States to lead the country. The President's job is to lead the executive branch of the federal level of government. That's it. And frankly, if the federal gov't were of the size it ought to be then it could safely be looked after by a second rate person. The problem isn't the quality of our Presidents, it is that for generations they have aspired to be kings instead and slowly expanded the Federal gov't's powers to match their greed. I'm a free man; I don't need anyone trying to lead me where they want to go. I'll set my own priorities, thank you. I do need a trustworthy employee who will keep the federal bureaucrats from getting too nosy or too expensive. Where can we find one of those?
Didn't this magazine used to be full of conservatives? This shouldn't have to be explained.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo, that impish white ghost of a man who spoke softly after the SOTU was the great and legendary Mitch Daniels you all speak of? Weird. He seemed to me like a slightly smoother version of Bobby Kenneth Jindal, only softer.
Regarding his feeble response - I now have a better understanding of why his wife ran out on him for a few years. Running off to sunny CA with someone more interesting than that near dead waif seems like a pretty reasonable proposition. He was evidently a living doormat when he was W's budget director too. But I also see how a person like Daniels could needle away at a woman like his wife, and shame her into returning by making her feel sorry for him and the kids. So he has that going for him, I guess. If folks like Daniels, Willard, Newt, and Barbour are the best that the GOP can send to the front, then it's a lost cause indeed. LOL! Enjoy losing, losers. 2012 is going to be soooooo sweet!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAsk the Indiana democratic party how meek and mild Mitch is!! What is left of it anyway. You might ask the state unions, the teacher's unions and the rest of the unions about that meekness as well.
He is very quiet, and doesn't do soundbite politics very well. But unlike Obama's alleged mental acuity, Daniel's actually is a pretty smart guy, and rather persistent.
I realize in this age of TV and the lords of the tube defining morality, guys like Mitch don't stand out - better to be a tall, photogenic, well spoken baby killer who loves unions, who votes present, and believes in corrupt power politics and funneling money to your supporters through naked crony capitalism. Sure that is something to be real proud of.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGod save me from "1st raters" like Obama who knowingly or not tear down the country. Give me second raters who get out of the way and let the people go after their dreams.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think Daniels would have been nice to have in the race as an option, but with all the flaws of the GOP candidates and with all the wounds that they have inflicted on each other gallup just released a poll with both Romney and Gingrich only 2 points behind Obama.
This thing is still winnable.
The Gingrich people can rejoice there is a poll out that doesn't show Gingrich 8 to 10 points behind in a general election match-up (Rasmussen still has him down nine to Romney's -3). I still think Romney is the better choice of the two for many of the reasons that the editors point out on the front page, and others. I will vote for him if he is the nominee, but Gingrich is never going to be President.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd if we are led by second-rate people, we will become a second-rate country.
What's with the future tense? We hit second-rate years ago.
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