Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels issued a statement last May that he would not seek the Republican nomination for the 2012 presidential election, citing family restraints and loss of privacy. Yet, as of late, Daniels has been on the talk circuit promoting his new book, Keeping the Republic: Saving America by Trusting Americans, which discusses his policy platforms in detail and has left many to wonder if he’s keeping the door open for a vice presidential bid.
Mitch Daniels
On September 23, at the Monitor Breakfast, Mitch Daniels will discuss his new book, his possible endorsements for the GOP nomination and his thoughts on being tapped as a running mate.
In his book, Daniels avoids the typical memoir angle, like giving insight into his formative years in Pennsylvania or his early career as an intern and later chief of staff for longtime Indiana Senator Richard Lugar. Instead, his book reads like a policy platform of the issues that he would campaign on, culminating in the final chapter, “Change That Believes in You” – perhaps a blueprint for how he would contribute as vice president.
Daniels wants to eliminate the idea of future entitlements, such as universal healthcare, and to massively reform current ones such as Social Security and Medicare. In order to overhaul the latter, Daniels believes in “means testing,” or whether or not an individual or family is eligible for help from the government, and feels this type of evaluation can help engage Democrats. Daniels also believes there are no sacred cows when it comes to government spending, and that include defense.
While some speculate that his media blitz is positioning him for a possible presidential bid, Daniels shut that door, explaining to CBS this past weekend that his children are his first priority. “There is one sentence to which a father has no reply, which is, ‘Daddy, please don’t,’” he said. However, when asked about accepting a vice presidential nomination, Daniels refused to comment.
Watch the Monitor Breakfast with Mitch Daniels next week on demand at FORA.tv.
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