February 20, 2011
IF HUCK DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE UP HIS PAYCHECK AND JEB DOESN'T RUN....:
Mitch Daniels could use debt focus as niche in 2012 caucuses (THOMAS BEAUMONT, 2/19/11, Des Moines Register)
Some influential Iowa Republicans say Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' call for a singular focus on reducing the federal debt would have an attentive audience in the leadoff caucuses, should he decide to run for president.Daniels' speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., last week won favorable reviews among some leading economic conservatives in Iowa, where Daniels has been absent while the 2012 campaign has developed.
Daniels, who has said all other issues pale, would likely face extra scrutiny in Iowa, where Republicans who stress social issues are vocal and well-organized. Questions persist about whether a strict economic conservative can compete in Iowa, where evangelical conservative Mike Huckabee won in 2008.
But in a crowded field, Daniels could exploit a niche as a fiscal hawk, the type of candidate polls have shown Iowa GOP caucusgoers prefer, some prominent Iowa fiscal conservatives say.
...Mitch is the social conservative candidate.
