Will Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman Get To Put "Governor" On Her Resume After All?; Would Gov. Daniels Resign To Run For President?

Awhile back I predicted that Governor Mitch Daniels would not run for President.  In the time since that prediction, I think the odds have increased substantially.  I am almost willing to say it's 50-50 at this point.  I still don't believe that Daniels has much of a chance of winning the nomination or the election.  His alienation of social conservatives and the charisma gap is likely to keep him from succeeding. But a good run though might land a VP spot on the Republican ticket, however.

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman

What is not talked about is what happens to GOVERNOR Daniels in the event of a presidential run.  Needless to say, running for President is a full-time job.  While the race has normally started by now, this year the presidential hopefuls are, smartly, waiting until later to announce for the primaries and caucuses that will hit very early next year.  That fits perfectly into Daniels announced plan to wait until after the legislative session to announce his presidential plans.

Let's say that that Governor Daniels does run for President.  Would he stay as as Governor while he's campaigning all over the country?  Given how contentious General Assembly sessions are in Indiana,  would he attempt to continue an active role in pushing legislation despite campaign obligations?

I frankly don't see it.  Gov. Daniels, like him or not, doesn't seem the type who would want to distance himself from being governor while campaigning In Iowa and New Hampshire.  Indiana, the 13th biggest state in the country, definitely presents full-time gubernatorial obligations.

Everyone seems to be talking about a Daniels presidential run.  What people should be talking about is the distinct possibility, if he does run for President, that he will resign propelling Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman into the Governor's Office.

Of course, Lt. Governor Skillman previously took herself out of running in 2012 for the top spot because of "minor health problems."  Could that have been because she knew she would have "Governor" on her resume due to Mitch Daniels leaving office before the end of his term?  Could it have been part of a deal between Daniels, Pence and Skillman to avoid a contested 2012 gubernatorial primary?