Sounds like a cynical headline, but it really is hard to keep up.
Mitch Daniels, responding to 2012 speculation at a Ball State event yesterday.
"This is the only public office I've sought, or ever will."
Time to repeat something I put together last month.
June 3, 2009:
"I've only ever run for or held one office. It's the last one I'm going to hold."
June 5, 2009, responding to Byron York's speculation on a 2012 run:
"It shows you how slim the pickings are."
A July 29, 2009 interview with Mark Mellinger:
Mark Mellinger: Are you open to it at all? Is there anything that could persuade you to change your mind?
Daniels: I don't know what it would be, honestly. I've painted myself in about as much as I think a person can.
One thing people I hope will remember is -agree or disagree- we told the truth. We leveled with people. And we did what we said we'd do. And serving four years is one of those things that I intend to do.
Mark: But you're stopping short of a definite 'no, never.'
Daniels: I thought I'd said it. You know, I don't know what words would better convey it. So, you know, just count on me being here to kick around for another three and a half years.
August 31, 2009 interview with the AP:
He says he wouldn’t inflict the intensity of a national campaign on his wife, Cheri, and four grown daughters.
“To me the level of not just scrutiny, but savagery is the word that comes to mind, that has attached itself to national politics is pretty sobering,” Daniels told The Associated Press. “I mean, we’ve not just seen people’s own personal backgrounds but their spouses and even their children get dragged into this.”
September 4, 2009:
"I've made that decision.
I've painted myself in as well as a person can.
If I go chasing the rabbit of national office, the chance of succeeding is so slim."
October 14, 2009, at Indiana University Southeast.
"I am not running for President."
October 25, 2009 i/view with the South Bend Tribune:
"Now we know where the bottom of the barrel is," Daniels quipped of suggestions that he could be the Republican presidential nominee in 2012.
.... "I think there will be a (solid) choice again soon," Daniels said. "It won't be me."
But he did leave the door open to a VP run in the i/view.
Daniels also scoffed at the prospect of being selected as a vice presidential nominee, calling it "wildly improbable" and a decision to be made by somebody not even to be known until mid-2012.
But if the presidential nominee and party leaders said they needed him on the ticket to help the party and the country, what would he say?
"I'd tell them they had rocks in their head," Daniels replied in the self-effacing way he has responded to all the national speculation.
Seriously, though, wouldn't it be hard for anybody to say "no" to such a plea?
"I suppose," he said. "Anybody. But it's such a long shot."
October 29, 2009.
“No. There’s only one way you can spell it.”
Actually, there are two, but point taken.
December 3, 2009 interview with the Indy Star:
Q: Have you given any thought to whether you could be a presidential candidate?
A: This again! Well, listen, we've got our hands full here. It's very satisfying if we could keep building what we're doing in Indiana.
I've got my mind on the business at hand, and that's a 24/7 job.
December 4, 2009 -- Mitch Daniels' press secretary, Jane Jankowski:
"I don't know how many times he can say that he's not running for president."
Starting December 27, 2009, he added a new twist to the "No" line:
"The only thing I like about these national stories and speculations and so forth, is that they're drawing attention to Indiana.
Bringing positive attention to the state as a means to maybe bring new jobs to the state is what we're all about."
December 30, 2009 interview with Indiana's Fox 7:
"That's the reason, the only reason I sort of appreciate these things. I like it that now in this era Indiana is being looked at, not me."
Bringing us to Feb 22nd's interview with Dan Balz.
".... if these people are still around, and still not fully satisfied with the field, and if I don't see anybody who's raising what I think of as the survival issues for the country, I guess I'd listen, if it's not too late, which it might well be. I've told people if it's too late, so be it."
The (not) End.
