During the presidential speculation phase earlier this year, when many on the right were holding out hope for an electable full-spectrum conservative candidate, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels was deemed too RINO to win the Republican nomination. But given the way the field has shaped up, had he run, he’d probably be the frontrunner by now.
Many conservatives have been desperate for an alternative to Mitt Romney, but he still finds himself ahead in the first four primary states, because no single rival has been able to consolidate opposition to him or convince the establishment wing of the GOP that they’d be plausible. (BTW, I’m using “establishment,” roughly speaking, as a way of describing those who place more emphasis on electability than ideology.)
Daniels, no doubt, had his share of detractors, given his social issues “truce” comments, uncertainty about whether he’d be open to raising taxes, and skepticism over his foreign policy views among hawks. But his governing record in Indiana was well to the right of Mitt Romney’s in Massachusetts. If Romney can overcome past support for abortion, gun control, the McCain-Kennedy immigration approach, and government-run health care — among other liberal positions — Daniels’ deviations from conservatism would have looked mild by comparison. In addition, his command of policy details and strong executive record would have allowed him to compete with Romney for establishment support. It’s hard to imagine Daniels having a deer in the headlights moment in a debate.
Of course, this is all moot given that Daniels is not running. But it’s interesting to note, because if Romney goes on to win the nomination, a big part of the story will be the potential candidates who chose not to run.
