I think people who keep saying Gov. Daniels is too unpopular to earn a second term should remember that two years is a long time in politics. I likewise thing this sentiment is overly optimistic and suffers from the same shortsightedness:
He's not tall enough to play Goliath in real life, but Gov. Mitch Daniels is looking like a giant for any Democrat to challenge in 2008.Sure, he was blamed for his party's loss of the House of Representatives on Election Day. But in pushing an agenda of change, Daniels is dominating state government and politics.Daniels has made a big enough splash that he may scare off strong potential opponents like Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, who would have the dilemma of running for re-election as mayor next year while also campaigning for governor.
Even before the Nov. 7 election, it would have been impossible to predict what voters will think of Daniels in 2008. He chaperoned a change of pace many Hoosiers weren't ready for, but let's wait and see how those changes play out. Now, the unpredictability is total. A certain dynamic will develop between the Daniels administration and the Democrat-controlled House. One will be seen as more right -- or at least more reasonable -- than the other, and that will determine just about anything.
I don't know anyone smart enough to figure that out right now, and any people who say they can should be regarded with deep suspicion.
