mitch daniels on our red menace

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels spoke at CPAC last week and gave a speech that was both appropriate and articulate. I wrote about Governor Daniels in December and then I was impressed that the state of Indiana ran a surplus in his first term. This gives him the credibility to say what he said at CPAC. You can read the full text of his speech or listen to the audio.

Below is a portion of the speech which is centered around our national debt. Daniels says it is our generation’s red menace and that this course must be reversed.

That part of his speech was the most significant and has seemed to create the most attention but there were other important lines which I have listed below.

Today’s EPA should be renamed the “Employment Prevention Agency.” After a two-year orgy of new regulation, President Obama’s recent executive order was a wonderment, as though the number one producer of rap music had suddenly expressed alarm about obscenity.

Seven years as a practitioner in elective politics tells me that history’s skeptics are wrong. That Americans, in a vast majority, are still a people born for self-governance. They are ready to summon the discipline to pay down our collective debts as they are now paying down their own; to put the future before the present, their children’s interest before their own.

Purity in martyrdom is for suicide bombers. King Pyrrhus is remembered, but his nation disappeared. Winston Churchill set aside his lifetime loathing of Communism in order to fight World War II. Challenged as a hypocrite, he said that when the safety of Britain was at stake, his “conscience became a good girl.” We are at such a moment. I for one have no interest in standing in the wreckage of our Republic saying “I told you so” or “You should’ve done it my way.”

mitch daniels

In July I listed my top 4 nominees to run for president in 2012. One candidate on the list who was and is still a dark horse candidate is Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.

Being the governor of a low profile state in the Midwest does not offer the publicity of states such as California, New York, etc. However, what does offer good publicity is taking a multimillion dollar deficit which he inherited and turning it into a $1.3 billion surplus by the end of his first term.

Mona Charen had a great piece on Friday about the governor which lists his past success and possible bid for the White House. As with any potential candidate right now there are few if any signs that he may or may not run and also like any candidate there are certain downsides to a presidential bid. As the above article states, “he favored a temporary truce on social issues.” Overall though he is  a strong conservative and one that looks more appealing as a presidential candidate as time goes on.

who will be the GOP nominee in 2012?

I’m very anxious to see what happens this November in the mid-term elections, but I’m already anxious for the 2012 elections especially the presidential election.  Less than 2 years into Obama’s presidency I already feel optimistic that Republicans will take back the White House. The GOP will have to put out a great candidate because no matter how bad an incumbent is they are always hard to get out of office.

Charles Krauthammer wrote a very insightful article today which acknowledged that a win for Republicans this fall could backfire in 2012. He uses the example of Bill Clinton gaining re-election in 1996 after Republicans took control of Congress in 1994.

Politico also has an article today about which early GOP candidates are gaining momentum.

I have not fully decided on what candidate I want to support in 2012 yet, but I will list my top 4 choices in alphabetical order.

• Mitch Daniels
• Newt Gingrich
• Mike Huckabee
• Tim Pawlenty

And yes Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney are not in my top 4.