Scapegoating Mitch Daniels

[Geee]

American Spectator:

Over the past year, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has been a case study in how not to seek the Republican presidential nomination -- if indeed that is his intention.

Despite having a generally conservative governing record, in the run-up to a possible candidacy, Daniels has managed to alienate all parts of the GOP’s so-called “three-legged” stool. He has rattled economic conservatives by floating the possibility of a VAT tax, unnerved national security hawks by talking about defense cuts and seeming indifferent about foreign policy, and angered values voters by calling for a “truce” on social issues while the country confronts the national emergency of our fiscal crisis.

It’s the latter comments that have drawn the most heat, giving his potential rivals an easy opening at conservative events to say that yes, social issues are a priority.

But while Daniels has become a popular target for social conservatives who understandably don’t want to see their issues downplayed, the reality is that Daniels’ crime was to say explicitly what most of the other potential candidates are saying and doing implicitly -- that is, emphasizing the importance of economic and fiscal issues over moral matters.

In a sense, Daniels has become a scapegoat for a gripe that social conservatives have had for decades -- that Republicans take them for granted. Politicians count on them to get elected, but then spend most of their time pursuing other issues once in office.