Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels “Would Like to Run For President”
By Art Gallagher
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels would like to run for president, according to an article in The Huffington Post that quotes a Daniels advisor.
Convincing his wife, Cheri, to support his presidential bid is said to be Daniels challenge. The Daniels divorced in 1993 and remarried in 1997. Cheri married and divorced another man during that four year period. She is said to be reluctant to expose that period of her life to the media spotlight of a presidential campaign.
In addition to his marriage, Daniels will face questions about his role as a senior executive at Eli Lily from 1990 until 2001 when he became President George W. Bush’s budget director. During his tenure at Lily, the drug maker paid $2.7 billion in fines and damages in criminal and civil matters concerning for illegally marketing two of its drugs. Lily has said that Daniels had nothing to do with the agreements to settle the criminal charges.
If he gets into the race, Daniels could dominate what is considered by most a weak field on GOP candidates considering a challenge to President Obama in 2012. He is considered a strong fiscal conservative. As governor, he put an end to collective bargaining for public service workers, expanded school vouchers, and signed a bill that defunded Planned Parenthood.
Daniels turned a budget deficit into an budget surplus in Indiana. How he did it will cause some tap dancing for any New Jersey Republicans who decide to back the head Hoosier. He leased Indiana’s East-West toll road to foreign investors for 75 years, raising $3.8 billion dollars. Sound familiar? Jon Corzine might still be governor had he not emulated Daniel’s plan to restructure New Jersey’s fiscal mess.
Republican Governor John Kasich of Ohio is considering toll road monetization in Ohio. Governor Chris Christie is not likely to do so in New Jersey.
Daniels has close ties to Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, going back to the 1970’s when Lugar was mayor of Indianapolis. He ran Lugar’s senate office and his campaigns. He was political director in the Reagan White House, turned down an opportunity to be appointed to Dan Qualye’s U.S. Senate seat to enter the private sector and returned to government service as Bush’s budget director.
Posted: May 10th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics | Tags: Mitch Daniels | 4 Comments »Iowa Republicans Recruiting Christie For President
The Associated Press is reporting that a group of Iowa Republican fundraisers is coming to New Jersey this month with the purpose of recruiting Governor Chris Christie into the race for the 2012 presidential nomination.
Bruce Rastetter, Iowa entrepeneur and GOP fundraiser
The group, is led by Bruce Rastetter, the CEO of Hawkeye Energy Holdings, America’s third largest ethanol producer, will meet with the governor on May 31 at Drumthwacket.
Rastetter, who met Christie last year at a fundraiser for Iowa Governor Terry Branstad last year, is a major player in Iowa politics. He was the chair of Branstad’s inaugural committee. Branstad appointed Rastetter to the Iowa Board of Regents.
“There isn’t anyone like Chris Christie on the national scene for Republicans,” Rastetter said. “And so we believe that he, or someone like him, running for president is very important at this critical time in our country.”
“He clearly understands smaller government, less government spending, job creation, and how to create a better education system — certainly, all the things I and those accompanying me care about,” Rastetter said.
Christie has been steadfast about not running for president.
Posted: May 9th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie | Tags: Bruce Rastetter, Chris Christie | 4 Comments »AFP Presidential Summit On Spending And Job Creation
The Americans for Prosperity Foundation will broadcast a Presidential Summit on spending and job creation tonight from New Hampshire at 8PM. Mitt Romney, Michele Bachman, Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain and Rick Santorum will be participating.
The event will be streamed at AmericansforProsperity.org and broadcast on C-SPAN.
The Bayshore Tea Party Group will be pariticpating in the event locally from their office at 275 Route 35 North, Red Bank and will have a straw poll. If planning to attend the BTPG, plan to arrive between 7 and 7:30.
Posted: April 29th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics | Tags: AFP, Bayshore Tea Party Group | 1 Comment »In 2012, Barack Obama will replace Joe Biden with Kay Hagan as his running mate
By Alan Steinberg, originally posted at Politickernj
Prediction: In early 2012, President Barack Obama will announce that if he is reelected, he will appoint Vice President Joe Biden to succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
During the first week of September, 2012, North Carolina will be in the national spotlight as the Democrats gather in Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention. Yet two weeks before the convention, North Carolina will previously be the focus of national attention as Obama announces that his Vice Presidential running mate will be that state’s junior U.S. Senator, Democrat Kay Hagan.
There are two key reasons why Obama will select Hagan. First, as I will explain below, North Carolina is the decisive state in the 2012 election: the Presidential candidate who wins North Carolina will win the election. Second, in unseating former North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole in 2008, Hagan demonstrated superb political and communication skills that would make her a definite asset to the Obama reelection campaign.
The more compelling of these two factors is the importance of North Carolina in the 2012 Presidential race. To understand this, one must examine next year’s electoral map, realizing that events could certainly change the outlook in critical states. It is not too early, however, to do a preliminary evaluation.
The Republican 2012 Presidential nominee will have a strong likelihood of winning all the states won by John McCain in 2008. By contrast, Obama will definitely lose certain states won by him in the 2008 contest.
To begin with, it is not too early to say that Obama will lose Florida to the GOP nominee. Real estate values are declining significantly in the Sunshine State, and Obama’s tilt towards the Arabs in the Middle East has resulted in a major loss of support for him in the state’s large Jewish community. A Quinnipiac Poll released yesterday showed Obama receiving a 52-44 per cent job disapproval among Florida voters. Furthermore, the poll reported the Florida electorate stating by a 51-42 percent vote that the President does not deserve reelection.
Another key factor in favor of the GOP in Florida in the 2012 Presidential sweepstakes: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) is likely to be the GOP nominee for Vice President, now that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has made it clear he will not accept the nomination for the second spot.
The year 2012 will probably be a year of modest economic recovery, but not in the nation’s Rust Belt. Obama won both Ohio and Indiana in 2008, two states that George W. Bush won in both 2000 and 2004. It is highly unlikely that the President will carry either of these two Rust Belt states in 2012.
In 2008, Obama won in Virginia, a state no Democratic presidential candidate had carried since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In the 2010 Congressional elections, however, Republicans won eight of the state’s eleven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, including two Democratic incumbent seats. The anti-Obama trend in Virginia is evident – the state will likely return to the Republican fold in the 2012 Presidential race.
Similarly, while Obama carried New Hampshire in 2008, a strong anti-Obama trend was the key factor in the GOP triumphs in the Granite State’s 2010 elections. The New Hampshire GOP succeeded in 1) electing Kelly Ayotte as the new Republican U.S. senator; 2) capturing both of the state’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; and 3) nearly unseating a popular Democratic governor, John Lynch. At this point, the anti-Obama trend in New Hampshire is likely to continue, and the odds are in favor of the GOP Presidential nominee capturing the state in 2012.
Under the new electoral vote map resulting from the 2010 census, the switch of Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, and New Hampshire from Obama to his Republican 2012 Presidential challenger would result in the President retaining a base of 268 electoral votes and his Republican challenger controlling 255. A candidate must win 270 electoral votes in order to be elected President. Therefore, under this scenario, the winner of North Carolina’s 15 electoral votes would win the 2012 election.
Until 2008, the Republicans had carried North Carolina in every Presidential election since 1980. Obama, however, carried the state in 2008, albeit by a razor thin margin of four tenths of a percentage point. He does have at least an even money chance of winning the state in 2012. The key factor in Obama’s favor will be the state’s large African-American vote and its rapidly growing Hispanic community, as shown by the 2010 census.
It is also noteworthy that in the 2010 Congressional races, the anti-Obama trend prevailing in Virginia and New Hampshire was not in evidence in North Carolina. The Democrats retained seven of the state’s thirteen seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, a good off-year election showing.
In the 2012 Presidential race, in North Carolina, history favors the Republicans, while demographics and recent trends favor Obama. If Obama selects Kay Hagan as his running mate, he will be a definite favorite to win North Carolina, the decisive state in the 2012 Presidential race, and with that, his reelection.
So I am predicting that Barack Obama will select Kay Hagan as his 2012 Vice Presidential running mate. I expect all the comments about how foolish it is for any political pundit to predict such an outcome so far in advance of the election, especially before the Republicans select their Presidential candidate. If you see Obama-Hagan bumper stickers in 2012, however, remember that you read it here first.
Alan J. Steinberg served as Regional Administrator of Region 2 EPA during the administration of former President George W. Bush. Region 2 EPA consists of the states of New York and New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and eight federally recognized Indian nations. Under former New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman, he served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. He currently serves on the political science faculty of Monmouth University.
ICYMI: Christie on Education Reform and Donald Trump’s Presidential Prospects
Newt Gingrich Announces His Presidential Exploratory Committee
By Art Gallagher
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee today in an email announcement to his supporters and friends.
In his announcement and fundraising appeal, Gingrich said:
Over the last year I’ve watched a failure in leadership, and have spent a lot of time thinking and praying about taking the first step. I am writing you to ask for your advice, as Callista and I consider whether or not I should run in 2012.
What I need to do right now is listen to and learn from people all across America. I need to be certain that if I run, my candidacy will have the support it will need to make a positive difference for our nation. However, I can’t do it alone. What I am hoping you will do is help me and support me during this exploratory process.
I have asked a lot from you over the years. In return you have humbled me by demonstrating your talent, energy, and financial sacrifice that reflect how deeply you and others like you, care about our nation. You are an indispensable part of helping me decide what to do next, and I have to tell you, I need you now more than ever before. If I run, this will be the single biggest challenge we’ve ever faced together. So, success depends entirely upon you. I want to hear from you. I need to hear from you. So let me ask you:
1. Would you support my candidacy if I were to run for President?
2. Will you support my exploratory effort with a financial contribution
of $35, $50, $100, or even more at this vitally important early
“Newt Explore 2012” stage today?I am convinced that the 2012 election is the best opportunity to realize all we have worked for together over all the past years. We must move from the world that fails — to the world that works. The time is now to reject the Left’s ideas, and replace them with better ideas; ideas that fulfill our bigger dreams for ourselves, our families and our country.
Now is the time. I need your help. I need to know if you believe I could run and serve effectively as President of the United States. And I need to know today. I am waiting to hear from you.
Gingrich’s website is at NewtExplore2012.com
Posted: March 10th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics | Tags: 2012 Presidential Politics, Newt Gingrich | 5 Comments »Christie: “I won’t be governor in 2014”
By Art Gallagher
While criticising President Obama’s comments to the nation’s governors about public employee unions and health care, Governor Chris Christie told reporters that he will not be governor in 2014, according to Herb Jackson of The Record.
“I’m not going to even be governor in 2014, so the fact that he’s offering flexibility in 2014 is really of no moment to most governors who need to balance their budgets this year,” Christie said.
If reelected in 2013, Christie would be sworn in to his secord term in January 2014.
At his Town Hall meeting in Middletown on January 26th, Christie said he was going to seek a second term as governor.
The governor has repeatedly declared that he is not running for president in 2012.
Maybe his plans are changing.
Posted: March 1st, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie | Tags: Chris Christie | 5 Comments »Is There A Chance Obama Won’t Seek Another Term?
The folks at Hillbuzz say Chicago politicos think the President won’t run for reelection.
Of course, Hillbuzz would like that because it would create a lot of Hillary buzz.
Here’s their reasoning:
The Obama cultists in the Media keep insisting “there’s no way Obama doesn’t win re-election”, and the Cocktail Party GOP defeatists pick up their usual Eeyore cues from that and essentially seem geared to give up before the 2012 election even begins, but I keep coming back to something a good friend of mine asked me the other day that I honestly didn’t have an answer for.
She posed this question — which I invite you to answer in comments below: ”Have you ever heard anyone who didn’t vote for Obama in 2008 wish they could go back and vote for him now, after seeing him as president?”.
This is a new take on what we hear a lot, that people who voted for Obama, now unhappy with his job performance, wish they could go back in time and not vote for him. This feeling seems to be widespread now that a good deal of the hopeychange Kool-Aid has expired.
But, have you honestly ever heard ANYONE say that “I didn’t vote for him in 2008, but he’s done such a good job I wish I had known better and can’t wait to vote for him in 2012″?
The tea leaves that HillBuzz are reading come from David Axelrod and the First Lady:
It might seem incredible that Obama would just walk away from the presidency, leaving Democrats in the lurch for 2012, but I was told, repeatedly, to watch what David Axelrod and Michelle Antoinette have both been doing in recent weeks…they give no signs whatsoever that they are engaged in a re-election campaign.
Axelrod was recently on a Chicago Sunday political show and kept dodging all talk of the re-election campaign, which is like Oprah Winfrey turning down a large supreme pizza or a sandwich bigger than her head. It’s unheard of.
Axelrod’s favorite topic in the world is how he got Obama elected president, which means Axelrod’s second favorite topic in the world should be how he is going to re-elect Obama in 2012. He left the White House claiming that’s why he was moving back to Chicago, to focus on the re-election bid, and when given the perfect opportunity to wax on about that, and praise himself and his efforts, he completely dodged the topic, wanting nothing to do with it. Why?
Pressed by the reporter, Axelrod apparently said “the president’s re-election is just one of the interesting projects I am working on”. What could be peer, in terms of being interesting, to re-electing a president if you are a political consultant? Chicago political veterans picked up on this and saw it as a sign that those in the Obama ranks either do not believe he will win in 2012, or that he won’t even run, largely because of the former.
Then there was Michelle Antoinette on Good Morning America last Thursday or Friday, wearing something hideous as usual, also downplaying the re-election campaign and dodging questions about her involvement in it. This, too, is strange because Michelle Antoinette has always loved talking about how influential, powerful, and generally wonderful she (thinks she) is.
Like Axelrod, Michelle Antoinette poo-poohed the re-election talk, not taking the opportunity to go on about how much her husband deserved a second term to keep doing whatever it is all day, the end results of which the American people clearly hate.
She had a very “one and done” attitude about living in the White House for Obama’s term, and people here in Chicago who know her said that she was in particularly bad spirits after returning to DC from Hawaii, because she just didn’t want to ever leave and resents having to spend any time at all in DC.
Hat tip to Uncoverage for the Hillbuzz piece.
Posted: February 3rd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics, Obama | Tags: 2012, Obama | 7 Comments »GOP possible candidates, who should run and who should watch from home
By Bill BuccoSo, I’ve been keeping quite for the most part about who may/should be the nominee for the Grand Old Party and face President Obama in the 2012 election. So now, I’ve decided to throw my opinion out there on who I think is the best candidate for the Grand Old Party’s nomination.
First lets start with the people I believe should NOT get the nomination and why:
Former Governor Mitt Romney
Former Governor Mike Huckabee
Former Governor Sarah Palin
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Herman Cain
Donald Trump
Governor Romney, someone who I very much respect, but I think has too much baggage now that the so called RomneyCare is going belly up in Massachusetts; which many say ObamaCare is mirrored on. Also, last time around Governor Romney spent a lot of his own money and still couldn’t pull off any big upset wins. He’s a fine American and I believe his experience and knowledge will be best served as the top economic adviser to the next President.
Governor Huckabee is an accomplished Governor of a state that housed a former President of ours. And he was definitely the underdog in almost every primary and pulled a huge upset in the Iowa Caucus. The only problem with the Governor is fundraising. He had trouble back in 2008 to raise money and I still think him being a former minister is going to hurt him in key swing states that are going to heavily have young voter turnout; who still unfortunately are blind sighted by the “Obama talk.”
Governor Palin, while someone who can shake up the base and I believe be very competitive in a Republican Primary, she has too much baggage. The liberal media has done a good job by ripping her apart and may have accomplished the task of making sure she never becomes President or Vice President. Her same talking points aren’t going to get her to the oval office, and also her resigning as Governor with but 18 months left doesn’t help either. She is someone that should be getting a lot more respect then she has, but let’s be honest, the liberal media won in the sense of painting her as a “right wing extremist” and are trying to shut her up but are failing miserably. Whoever the nominee is may want to look at her as a fund raising tool.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He has done a pretty good job staying in the public eye. With frequent appearances on Fox News, writing books, and producing movies. However he can only ride the “I was Speaker when the budget was balanced” train for so long. He is yesterday’s news. He has too much baggage and I don’t think he should be considered as a possible contender.
Former Senator Rick Santorum. If any conservative out there wants Obama for another 4 years, then Senator Santorum is the person to nominate. I mean seriously, is he for real? Here is a man who lost his reelection bid 59%-41% the largest margin of defeat ever for an incumbent Senator since George McGovern lost to James Abdnor in 1980. I mean come on! And 1 thing I have to criticize Fox News for is actually having him on as a regular guest. He is yesterday’s news and shouldn’t be given any media attention really.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Now growing up where I did, I knew who Giuliani was and everyone loved him; still do in fact. But he was Mayor for 8 years and has not held a higher public office since. I think people in the North East have a different view of Giuliani, because we got to see what he did first hand, but the rest of the country didn’t. And his personal life will again play a big factor into people deciding whether or not to vote for him as well as his decisions on same sex marriage and abortion. He spent the most part, if not all of his campaigning in Florida and showed a weak 3rd place. Not good for a chance of the GOP to take over the White House next election.
Herman Cain, a lot of people will go who? Donald Trump, a lot of people know who he is, but again people will be like huh? These two men, successful businessmen, and people we need in Washington to make it more business friendly, with all do respect, have no right running for President. Just like Ross Perot back in the 1992 and 1996 election. This is just an example of millionaires and billionaires wanting to be at the top without having zero experience what so ever.
Now let’s go with some who said they won’t run, but names are still floating around:
Governor Chris Christie
Former Governor Jeb Bush
Now, nothing would make me and probably most of the country happier then to see Governor Christie run for President against President Obama. You’ve had politicians in the past say that they aren’t going to run and then a few years later they end up running, but no one has said “short of suicide, I don’t know what to do to convince you that I’m not running for President.” Except one Governor. While I wish the Governor would reconsider, he is also a man that does what he says and says what he means. So if you were going to put a bet on who is not going to run, put it on Christie.
Former Governor Jeb Bush. Another man who has said thanks but no thanks. But even if he didn’t, it is still way too soon to even think about having another Bush on the ticket. Not because I don’t think Governor Bush would do a bad job, I think he would do a fantastic job, but I will have to agree with his mother when she said, “I think the country is Bushed out for a while.” Another good return on a bet if you were to do so.
Now let’s wrap it up with possible contenders and of course, my pick for the GOP as well as a pick for the Vice President
Former Governor Tim Pawlenty
Governor Haley Barbour
Governor Mitch Daniels
Congressman Mike Pence
Let’s start out with Governor Haley Barbour. I had the opportunity to meet the Governor last February and I was very impressed by him how he presented himself. He has a great record of winning elections. 1994 and in 2010; where in 1994 he was the RNC Chairman when the republicans made a historic sweep then and in 2010 as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA) where he won Virginia and New Jersey (2009) and gained 12 out of 17 Governorships that changed parties. (Florida was counted in the 12 being Crist was officially an Independent as of April 2010) The problem with Governor Barbour is though his ties to lobbyist groups. That I think will be something his fellow Republicans will use against him and you know it is something Obama will use against him as well; but if the RNC or the person whoever gets the nomination, Haley Barbour is another person to really consider having as your fund raiser; the man can raise money!
Congressman Mike Pence, not much talk about him, but enough to put him on the radar as a possible contender. The major thing he has going against him right now is history. Historically, and in fact never, has a sitting member of the House of Representatives won the primary to seek the nomination. Also, outside of Washington DC, Indiana (where he is from and represents), and a small circle of the GOP, he is unknown. Now the argument can be made for a lot of the other candidates mentioned above, but as opposed to be being 1 out of 50 like the Governors or 1 out of 100 like the Senators, he is 1 out of 435 at the same time all of them are trying to find ways to get air time. He has a good record and I believe he could make an effective leader, but I wouldn’t recommend he be the nominee.
Now it comes down to the final two (at least on my list) Former Governor Tim Pawlenty and Governor Mitch Daniels. Both Governor’s I admire and had the opportunity to meet Governor Pawlenty last February also. And he has been more vocal and visible then Governor Daniels in regards to running for President. The only reason is now because Tim Pawlenty is no longer Governor and Mitch Daniels, while still on the fence, is still Governor. However, I do believe Governor Daniels is seriously thinking about a run, because he cannot stand for reelection as Governor in 2012, he will be term limit out, and the RGA made Governor Rick Perry the Chairman of the organization; not a big surprise but at the same time yes because usually they give it to a Governor who is term limit out so the other Governors can focus of governing and reelection.
Both of these men have similar traits that would make them both appealing. Both of them come from states that Obama won in 2008. Although Mitch Daniels has a better shot of turning Indiana red then Tim Pawlenty does turning Minnesota red. Only 1 Republican President has won Minnesota and that was Richard Nixon back in 1972; the good ole Gipper didn’t even win that state. Although Tim Pawlenty is closer in age to Obama and that can work in his favor. Both men have worked in “manufacturing states” which means they have worked with a lot of unions and can negotiate well and have the back bone that can fix the pension reforms in this county, something our current President lacks.
That being said, the person I believe would be the best person to match up against President Obama is Governor Mitch Daniels. Some of you may think that is a boring choice, but I respectfully disagree. If you read his record as Governor, and they (the RNC and other GOP affiliated organizations) market him well, he will be an outstanding candidate for President. Also, geographically he is from a perfect spot. For starters, you can bet Indiana will be removed from the blue column and put back into the red column, and Ohio can also do the same. He is from a neighboring state so he is more known to “middle America” where some key states are located and states that Obama won in 2008 that Bush did in 2004.
While Mitch Daniels is not the exciting spark that Barrack Obama was for the Democrats in 2008, that can change with the pick of the Vice President. And I am choosing the Governor of New Mexico, Governor Susanna Martinez. What she has done 3 weeks as Governor, Obama still hasn’t done as President, she is energetic and will rally the base more then Sarah Palin did in 2008.
I believe a Mitch Daniels and Susanna Martinez ballot for November 2012 is a team that can beat President Obama and Vice President Biden.
Your thoughts?