Rush v. Mitch Daniels

With President Obama taking breaks from golf to campaign for re-election, it’s about time that Republicans get moving along in figuring out who could be president following the 2012 elections. There was already a debate between several candidates recently including our former governor, Gary Johnson. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have announced candidacies this week and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is scheduled to announce one way or another by the end of the month.

In anticipation of a possible Daniels run, Rush Limbaugh has apparently taken it on himself to dissuade his listeners (to include your humble writer) from supporting him. This opposition hinges on two basic themes. The first is Daniels’ current trepidation on matters regarding foreign policy and social issues. The second is that there are reports that the Obama campaign team fears a Daniels run and a Washington Post writer’s favorable opinion of a Daniels run as it would presumptively improve candidate Obama, improving a re-elected President Obama.

Rush’s belief is that the hyping of Daniels by liberal scribes and the Obama 2012 crew is really a message that they believe a candidate Daniels will de-facto result in a re-elected President Obama. But by similar logic it could just as well be assumed that the dems are hyping Daniels to psyche-out and discourage potential supporters. Or maybe even, they’re telling the truth. Just kidding. But seriously, who cares? By this train of thought, Mitt Romney is unbeatable because Obama compliments his healthcare plan from when he was governor of Massachusetts.

The bottom line is that Mitch Daniels has an exemplary record as governor of Indiana. After a ridiculous 2008 winning presidential campaign based on the inscrutable message of hope and change its long past time that a candidate emerge with the message of experience and concrete planning. I don’t know if Daniels is the best candidate but I do think that his inclusion in the field is a plus. Why limit the field based on mind games that are as likely imaginary as they are real? He has his reasons but I can’t understand why Rush has such a big problem with Daniels, especially when Limbaugh provides a platform for Donald Trump, a make-believe candidate who is the embodiment of the boogeyman Republican as illustrated by the president and the real best chance for his re-election.