The GOP pool for 2012 is overflowing with hopefuls and yet lacking in any clear frontrunner. And with our recent involvement in Libya, the ongoing battle in Congress over the budget, and health care costs skyrocketing – we really could use a leader right about now.
Our recent guest, Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana, successfully balanced the state budget in 2005 for the first time in eight years. He argues that our nation’s deficit is our most vicious threat, the new “Red Menace.” In fact, if we don’t fix our fiscal problems, none of the other issues we fight about will matter. The United States as we know it will cease to exist.
This concrete belief in the absolute necessity of tackling the budget is Gov. Daniels’ guiding principle. He’s received considerable flack from the right on his recent call for a “social issues truce,” saying that “freedom is going to need every friend it can get,” and that if we need to put issues on the backburner in order to get our country on board with slashing our deficit – it’s worth it.
Of course this doesn’t mean he’s a social liberal – watch the full episode below to hear about his record on abortion, thoughts on deficit reduction, and political aspirations for the future.