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Daniels Decides Against Republican Presidential Bid
By JEFF ZELENY

Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana said early Sunday that he would not become a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, telling supporters in an e-mail message that concerns from his family were the overriding factor in deciding to stay out of the race.

“In the end, I was able to resolve every competing consideration but one,” Mr. Daniels wrote. “The interests and wishes of my family is the most important consideration of all. If I have disappointed you, I will always be sorry.”

His announcement answers one of the most highly anticipated questions about the 2012 Republican campaign, but introduces new uncertainty into the race. He is the latest in a string of prominent Republicans to decline a presidential bid, leaving the field without a clear front-runner less than eight months before the first voting could begin.

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor; Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi; and Donald J. Trump, the businessman and reality TV star, have all announced in recent weeks that they would not seek the Republican nomination. Sarah Palin, a former governor of Alaska, has yet to declare her intentions. But the rest of the field is coming together.

Tim Pawlenty, a former governor of Minnesota, is scheduled to announce his candidacy on Monday. The decision by Mr. Daniels to stay out of the race could elevate the prospects for Mr. Pawlenty, who is trying to become a leading alternative to Mitt Romney, who sought the party’s nomination in 2008 and plans to run again.

Mr. Daniels delivered the news in an unusual way, explaining his decision in a telephone call to a small circle of confidants late Saturday. A few hours later, he sent a brief message to top contributors and political leaders who had expressed an interest in his candidacy. The e-mail was sent after midnight by Eric Holcomb, chairman of the Indiana Republican Party and one of Mr. Daniels’ closest political advisers.

“I hope this reaches you before the public news does,” Mr. Daniels wrote. “If so, please respect my confidence for the short time until I can make it known to all.”

The message, which was obtained by The New York Times, was confirmed by another aide to Mr. Daniels in Indianapolis. It was a crushing blow to admirers who had rallied around the idea of a Daniels candidacy, including more than 1,000 Republicans who filled a hotel ballroom in Indianapolis last week and held signs declaring: “Run Mitch Run.”

For weeks, Mr. Daniels has inched closer to entering the Republican race, declaring recently at the state party dinner: “I’m not saying I won’t do it.” And several party leaders urged him to run, saying that his experience on fiscal issues would strengthen the ticket.

In his brief message early Sunday, Mr. Daniels acknowledged that his decision would be a disappointment to many supporters, but he implored them to understand his rationale.

“If you feel that this was a non-courageous or unpatriotic decision, I understand and will not attempt to persuade you otherwise,” Mr. Daniels wrote. “I only hope that you will accept my sincerity in the judgment I reached.”

Mr. Daniels had been widely expected to make his decision known this week. In an interview with reporters last Thursday in South Bend, Ind., Mr. Daniels signaled that the time had come for him to disclose his intentions.

“People have been very patient and understanding,” he said, “but I have a sensitivity that I owe people an answer.”

Mr. Daniels expounded on his decision in a statement to The Indianapolis Star, saying that the concerns of his wife and his four daughters were the main factors in his determination.

“On matters affecting us all, our family constitution gives a veto to the women’s caucus, and there is no override provision,” Mr. Daniels said. “Simply put, I find myself caught between two duties. I love my country; I love my family more.”

Mr. Daniels kept his own counsel on his decision, aides said, with many of his closest political advisers unaware of his intentions. But he signaled his concerns nearly every time that he spoke about the race publicly.

His wife, Cheri, has made no secret of her distaste for politics. She did not campaign for her husband during his two races for governor. This is her second marriage to Mr. Daniels. In 1993, she left her husband and four daughters and moved to California to marry another man — only to remarry Mr. Daniels in 1997.

Many supporters assumed that his family was warming to the idea of a presidential campaign, particularly when Mrs. Daniels delivered a rare political speech at the state Republican Party dinner on May 12 in Indianapolis. But after the appearance, Mrs. Daniels made clear that the family had not signed off on a campaign, saying: “You have good days and bad days. One day you feel one way, another day you might feel differently.”

For his part, when asked directly whether he wanted to be president, Mr. Daniels said: “I haven’t decided yet.”

A few minutes later, when pressed again, he added: “You have to decide if this is really the way you’d like to spend – maybe – the rest of your life.”

Mr. Daniels, a former budget director in the White House under President George W. Bush, had secured the fund-raising commitments and political support from a large contingent of alumni from the Bush network. In recent days, aides said, several contributors sent word to Mr. Daniels that they needed an answer soon.

The message from Mr. Daniels early Sunday indicated that he appreciated the support.

“The counsel and encouragement I received from important citizens like you caused me to think very deeply about becoming a national candidate,” he wrote.

He added, “Many thanks for your help and input during this period of reflection. Please stay in touch if you see ways in which an obscure Midwestern governor might make a constructive contribution to the rebuilding of our economy and our Republic.”

In an interview on Thursday in Indiana, he said that he was still actively considering the race. When asked whether it was a painful decision to make, he said: “It’s complicated.”

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good

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This is going to be an easy primary for whoever does run.  The pack is thin.

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Originally Posted by Bryant Platt:
This is going to be an easy primary for whoever does run.  The pack is thin.

Right now it looks like an Obama vs Romney match-up.........YEAH!!!! So once again we will have a choice between two candidates that are separated by only the thinnest of issues.

Nothing to see here. No real progress being made here. Only the placation of the masses. Soon government will just be tossing bread at state sponsored sporting events.

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romney isn't going to get the nod. none of the establishment republicans, or even the democrats understand just what a mood the conservative base is in. we just need some people to step to the plate and actually take obama on. people somehow have this idea that he can't be beat, and they're being timid. are you kidding me? just look at the state that this country is in. four more years and we're ****.

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Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:
romney isn't going to get the nod. none of the establishment republicans, or even the democrats understand just what a mood the conservative base is in. we just need some people to step to the plate and actually take obama on. people somehow have this idea that he can't be beat, and they're being timid. are you kidding me? just look at the state that this country is in. four more years and we're ****.

Comeon Dodster, recent Congressional elections has shown us that the current admin's policies are not popular. True conservatives (ie the Tea Party, yeah the guys that have been demonized by the media) won a fair amount of districts, but can a true conservative win a Presidential bid??? I doubt it. The guy that will carry the Republican flag in this race will be seen as a moderate. Then, even if he wins, we still get more of the same.

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with the media such as it is, it will be harder for a real conservative to win, but mark, even if a moderate got the nod, the media is still going to go after whoever is running against obama. that's why you can't back away from it. don't run from conservatism, argue its points with conviction. make the better case.

look at it this way. without the tons of money that the left is going to put into obama's campaign, and without the media bias, it would be a landslide against obama. i mean you look at the situation our country is in, and just nothing but bad news everywhere you look. WITH the media bias and the unions, and all the money, it'll be a close race, but there is no dimension in which a president presiding over such an abysmal first term wins by any kind of large margin.

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Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:
with the media such as it is, it will be harder for a real conservative to win, but mark, even if a moderate got the nod, the media is still going to go after whoever is running against obama. that's why you can't back away from it. don't run from conservatism, argue its points with conviction. make the better case.

look at it this way. without the tons of money that the left is going to put into obama's campaign, and without the media bias, it would be a landslide against obama. i mean you look at the situation our country is in, and just nothing but bad news everywhere you look. WITH the media bias and the unions, and all the money, it'll be a close race, but there is no dimension in which a president presiding over such an abysmal first term wins by any kind of large margin.

Problem is, true conservatives are only a small portion of the voting base. Yes we are a right leaning nation, but conservatism has been successfully convoluted with neo-cons, the religious right, etc. A true conservative shouldn't and wouldn't care about trivial things like gays' right to marry, but many of the other strains of conservatism are worried about things like that.

I would also point out that fully 1/3 of tUSA's voters are not declared when it comes to political parties. How would they swing when they see a true conservative. Would they get behind someone like Ryan or even my own Bobby Jindal??? Answer is.....

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Originally Posted by Mark Simmons:

Problem is, true conservatives are only a small portion of the voting base. Yes we are a right leaning nation, but conservatism has been successfully convoluted with neo-cons, the religious right, etc. A true conservative shouldn't and wouldn't care about trivial things like gays' right to marry, but many of the other strains of conservatism are worried about things like that.

i wouldn't say that they shouldn't care, but really it's not conservatives who bring these social issues to the forefront, it's the liberals. conservatives generally want to keep things the same, while liberals are constantly pushing agendas of change. and they're not doing it accidently, they're trying, and have, changed the culture.

so while i would say those issues should matter, i think conservatives shouldn't get caught in that trap. which is something the tea party hasn't done yet.

I would also point out that fully 1/3 of tUSA's voters are not declared when it comes to political parties. How would they swing when they see a true conservative. Would they get behind someone like Ryan or even my own Bobby Jindal??? Answer is.....

if one came out with the conviction of a reagan. really, all we need is a conservative who is proud to be one, and that can explain why. and who isn't scared.  i mean look, the mood at the healthcare townhalls, and the mood behind the tea parties, and the mood of the last election hasn't gone away. that's the narrative that the media would have you believe, but it's not true.

those people in the middle, i would contend, naturally lean more to the right than left. the only reason they are sometimes swayed the other way, is when they feel like the democrats have swung in their direction, as in, away from the far left and more toward the middle. now, obama may make that claim again to those people in the middle, but so long as the republicans tie him to his policies, the indies aren't going to drink from that well again.