President 2012: Sounds Like Mitch Daniels is a Presidential Candidate?

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is appearing somewhat so-so about mounting a presidential bid, telling the Indianapolis Star the process is “savage” and suggesting it’s likely he’ll end up supporting another Republican White House hopeful.

“I like all those folks,” said Daniels of the likely GOP presidential field in comments published Wednesday. “Odds are I’ll wind up supporting one of ’em, so I’ve got nothing but good things to say about them.”

“I always thought if I had a contribution to make beyond being governor it might be to offer some thoughts like these and support somebody else who might do it. It might still work out that way,” the Indiana Republican added.

Daniels, the former budget director under President Bush who – to the chagrin of some in his party – has long advocated the importance of fiscal concerns over social issues, also reiterated that he’ll make his final decision soon after his state’s legislative season ends at the end of this month.

But, don’t take my word for it. Here is the take from an Indiana political observer.

Wearing a green jacket that made him look like he’d just won the Masters, Gov. Mitch Daniels on Tuesday talked about the “savage process” politicians go through when running for president, and about the “certainty of hurtful things” occurring to the families of those seeking the job.

But it’s clear he is deeply interested in launching a campaign.

Daniels eagerly fielded questions about the idea of running for president during a meeting with The Indianapolis Star’s Editorial Board on Tuesday afternoon. His answers made clear what we already knew — that he is giving the question deep thought — and underscored how intently he has worked through the issues that would face him and the messages on which he would base a campaign.

Much of his message would center on his concern about what he calls the “red menace” of federal debt, which has been the focus of many of his national speeches and writings.

If he runs, he said, “it would simply be because I do think, and I hope I am wrong, that the country has put itself in a very difficult place.”

There is incentive to tackle the problem now, he said, before the problem is too dire. He warned that if the nation delays Medicare and Social Security reforms, the goal he and many others share of not reducing benefits for those approaching retirement age may prove to be out of reach.

“We’re starting to run out of time,” he said.

And, what would a Daniel’s campaign look like?

Gov. Mitch Daniels’ campaign for president would be a crusade against federal debt and for major entitlement reform — if, that is, he runs.

Daniels detailed for The Indianapolis Star Editorial Board on Tuesday a presidential campaign that would take on some of the biggest issues the nation has faced. But he insisted he hasn’t yet made up his mind that he’s the right candidate to lead that fight.

Time, though, is running out.

Time is running short but the GOP Presidential nomination process has been delayed – much to the consternation of the Obama re-election campaign. But, Daniels, who was President Ronald Reagan’s political director understands that the Presidental race is really one that focuses on just a few key battleground states.

He does, though, see Obama as potentially vulnerable.

“My best guess is he’s not a lock for re-election,” Daniels said. “People have pointed out there’s a number of states like this one that he won last time that he is very unlikely to win the next time. . . . If you peel away Indiana and North Carolina and Virginia and some say Florida, suddenly there’s not a whole lot of margin for error left.”

Still, he added, it isn’t the polls that show Obama vulnerable or show the other candidates weak that is entering into his election analysis. Polls right now are meaningless, he said.