Mitch Daniels is running for president . . . he just hasn’t announced it yet. Last night, the Indiana Republican Spring Dinner was one of the most frustrating nights I’ve had in a while, but it was also one of the most interesting. With a record crowd of over 1100 people in attendance and a plethora of news cameras and journalists on hand for the event, everyone was abuzz with the possibility of Governor Daniels making his announcement that he was entering the race.
He never did, and throughout both his, and his wife’s speech, the crowd was teased with perfect setups for the announcement, only to have them move on to the next topic. Several times throughout the night, people began nudging and whispering to each other with, “here it comes,” and “this is it.” But it never came, thus the frustration of the night.
But despite the frustration, what those in attendance received was a very subtle display of the true leadership of Mitch Daniels. The entire night was preparation for the national stage. He made the statement that he’s “open” to the possibility of a run, an amazing ”commercial” was played highlighting his accomplishments over the past seven years, and Cheri Daniels, a woman who typically shy’s from the spotlight, began practicing for her role as first lady.
Brandi, watching the streaming video from home, was frustrated by the amount of time given to her role at the State Fair, but that’s been her bread and butter for her time as Indiana’s first lady. While I agree, there was a bit too much time spent on that topic, she was basically sticking with what she knows, and using it to get comfortable on the stage. But, she also spoke on a few other topics – children’s literacy and heart health. As Josh Gillespie from Hoosier Access questioned on Facebook, are we hearing the beginning of some policy?
Daniels is ready to run. But he is exercising patience in a well crafted rollout to his campaign. He is steadily gaining national attention and more and more people across the nation are starting to learn his name. His wife is prepping for her role in the campaign. They are allowing the attack groups to start digging for skeletons early so there will be no surprises later on. They are establishing their platform, raising money, and generating a lot of excitement.
When his announcement comes, it will be well timed, well planned, and his campaign will be well established. This is precisely the kind of thoughtful leadership and diplomacy that is needed in the White House and that American’s are clamoring for. While Daniels did not officially announce his run, for those who were reading between the lines and looking critically at last nights event, he’s in.
Posts RSS