Mitch Daniels: The Charisma of Competence

Guy Benson | February 12, 2011 9:29 AM

Last night, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels delivered what I view as the most serious, impressive speech of CPAC 2011 thus far. George Will's eloquent and funny introduction whets the appetite perfectly for Daniels' tour de intellectual force.

CSPAN has the full video posted HERE. Transcript HERE. I highly recommend setting aside the time to watch and ingest Gov. Daniels message in full. Even if he's not your choice for president (I, for one, have not made up my mind, and won't for some time -- and who knows if Daniels even intends to run), the portrait he paints of the collective task we face as a nation is sobering, even unnerving. But it must be said, and it must be internalized by whomever wins the Republican nomination next year.

Catchphrase of the night: The charisma of competence.