Is there a Mike Pence-Mitch Daniels slugfest in the future?
Rep. Mike Pence (R., Indiana), who appears to be considering a 2012 presidential run, made it clear in a recent interview that he won't be calling for a “truce” on social issues, like fellow Hoosier (and possible 2012 contender) Gov. Mitch Daniels has advocated.
Probably not. Daniels has backed off somewhat from his "social issues moratorium" call, and Pence also thinks economic issues are paramount. The question isn't whether to focus on one set of issues or the other but how to balance them. I think both potential candidates realize that social and economic conservatism often converge, and both groups need to be kept happy in the GOP coalition.
The poster references a U.S. News and World Report piece on Pence that calls him "part Reagan, part Kennedy" and which contains a quote that's been getting a lot of play:
"To those who say we should simply focus on fiscal issues, I say you would not be able to print enough money in 1,000 years to pay for the government you would need if the traditional family collapses."
