Jim Antle has an excellent piece in the November dead tree issue of The American Spectator on (maybe?) up-and-coming presidential aspirant Mitch Daniels. The Indiana Republican governor has garnered much praise for his budget-slashing ways; not so much for his call for a proposed “truce” on social issues like abortion and marriage.
Daniels’ coyness on cultural concerns could doom his presidential ambitions, unless he starts walking back his stances fast. (In the view of this blogger, far more impressive on fiscal and social issues combined is Congressman Mike Pence, also of Indiana). But the political reality is that Daniels might have no choice but to take a strong (or weak) stand on same-sex marriage in the near future.
Hoosier State voters put Republicans back in control of the state House on Tuesday. The GOP already controls the Senate. With Indiana being one of a handful of conservative-leaning states without an amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, legislative Republicans are likely to raise the issue again next year.
A big question: will Daniels support it? If he’s serious about a presidential run, he can’t afford to soft-peddle on this one.