MITCH – AT 6:08 P.M. ET:  I went to a Hudson New York lunch today.  Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana, spoke.

Daniels is significant because he's considered, by government experts far beyond the Republican Party, as a superb governor.  He's being mentioned more and more as a presidential candidate for 2012.  He's a slight man, with an uncanny resemblance to another famous son of Indiana, the World War II correspondent, Ernie Pyle. 

Daniels is clearly knowledgeable, but I'm afraid his speech today was ineffective.  He's not a dynamic speaker, and his remarks were not well organized.  Most people in the audience seemed disappointed.  He might well make a good president, but you've got to get the job first.  His performance today was not, in that regard, encouraging. 

If Daniels runs, he's got to sharpen his speaking abilities.  Laid back and folksy is fine, but you've still got to grab the audience.  I was not grabbed.

March 8, 2010