Mr. Media Training

This is the seventh in a weekly series looking at possible 2012 presidential contenders. Click here to learn more about the series. 

Mitch Daniels, the popular two-term governor from Indiana, claims he’s not interested in running for President. But he has stopped short of a Shermanesque Denial (“If nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve”), fueling speculation he is merely being coy about his presidential ambitions.

The Economist recently wrote a glowing piece about Mr. Daniels, calling him “…just the kind of man to relish fixing a broken state—or country.”

But does he have the seven traits that all eight winning presidential candidates have had since the beginning of the 24/7 media age in 1980?

Mr. Daniels has an understated charm. He is clearly comfortable in his own skin, a trait independent voters tend to reward. Although his words are stark at times (“I truly believe for the first time in my life our nation is facing challenges that threaten the survival of America as we’ve known it”), they seem consistent with the mood of the nation.

In the below clip, Mr. Daniels demonstrates an impressively easygoing lack of defensiveness when Chris Wallace asks him about his tenure as the first budget director for George W. Bush, during which the economy went from surplus to deficit:

“Well, fair enough, and recessions do that. I will just tell you that in two-and-a-half years of service, I was never in a debate with a member of Congress – of either party, by the way – where they wanted to spend less and I wanted to spend more. It was always the other way around, and Congress got their way on too many occasions. I agree that more money was spent then than needed to be.” 

I’ll review Gov. Daniels’ communications flaws and give him a grade after the clip (click the link twice to view the clip on YouTube).

Overall, Mr. Daniels comes across exactly how you’d expect the former director of the Office of Management and Budget to: serious, wonky, and not terribly inspirational.

Mr. Daniels does have a message voters are ready to respond positively to, but he obscures it with extraneous words and a halting delivery. And although his stark language about the challenges our nation faces may resonate with many Americans, independent voters tend to want that message delivered in an optimistic “can-do” package.

My sense is that Mr. Daniels is the type of candidate that makes policy experts swoon, but history suggests the public won’t react the same way (Bill Bradley, Steve Forbes and Chris Dodd come to mind as serious, policy-minded candidates, who also inspired a fervent but small following).

It’s still possible that Mr. Daniels could break through and become a serious contender. But he’d need to deliver a sharper, more optimistic message – and muster a smile or two along the way.

GRADE: C

To see the other candidates I’ve reviewed so far, click on their names: John Thune, Mitt Romney, Haley Barbour, Newt Gingrich, Jeb Bush, Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Gary Johnson, Jim DeMint,Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama