Indiana Governor: Empathy Can Revive Republican Party

WASHINGTON — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a potential 2012 presidential candidate, said Wednesday that his fellow Republicans need to work harder to show "empathy" if they want to emerge from the political doldrums.

Daniels also called those on the left of the political spectrum "the meanest people in politics."

Conservatives have lampooned President Barack Obama for using "empathy" to describe one of the qualities he seeks in a potential Supreme Court justice. But Daniels said "empathy" is spot on _ Obama's just misappropriated the word.

"Empathy is going to get a bad name for a little while because it's been transported into the world of the rule of law," Daniels told a forum for conservatives. "It's what distinguishes us from other species."

Republicans, he said, "must not only assert but assert with credibility that we understand what's going on in the lives of everyday people."

Daniels spoke at "Making Conservatism Credible Again," a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute and the Bradley Foundation. Daniels used to work at the Hudson Institute.

The second-term governor said conservatives would have to bide their time but that push-back on Obama and Democratic leadership is coming. In the meantime, the governor said, conservatives needed to practice humility.

"We don't have to believe we have all the answers," he said.

Still, Daniels said he saw reason to be optimistic. Many voters motivated by the historic nature of Obama's campaign cast their ballots as a sort of "fashion statement," he said, and will come to regret their decision when Obama's policies are enacted.

Conservatives can use their time out of power to distinguish themselves from their opponents' time in the wilderness, Daniels said.

"We need to accept the role of the loyal opposition much more gracefully than our opponents did," he said. "If you haven't noticed, the meanest people in politics are on the American left. We must be a friendly movement."

Comments

[timmmahhhh]

03:20 PM on 06/05/2009

From the article:
Daniels also called those on the left of the political spectrum "the meanest people in politics."

I also recall Cindy McCain saying that Obama ran the nsatiest campaign she has ever seen.

Consdier the sources. And he spoke at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Indianpolis. If that isn't a captive phalanx for your message. My brother in law works there and I can't stand his politics. At his kids 4th birthday party he had GOP campaign hats, disgusting.

[AuntiepoppyCock]

03:09 PM on 06/05/2009

Become a human for votes? Scare tactics failed...How pathetic and phony!

[EndTheEcho]

08:59 PM on 06/04/2009

American Left are the meanest? What is he smoking? Did the American Left call for the death of McCain during last year's election? No, but we did here from the right on Obama.

And we have seen the lie that is compassionate conservatism, it hasn't worked for Americans, and that brand is no good, even if you rename it empathy. It is like renaming a Pinto car a Lima car, but without fixing the exploding gas tanks, no one is going to buy.

[olmossy]

10:24 AM on 06/04/2009

Yep the People on the left , who want healthcare for all , Civil rights for all and a government which works for even the least it's people, have misappropriated the word Empathy.

Empathy means Every man for himself. Devil take the hindmost. I got mine , you don't, well tough.
A government which works for the Wealthy and exploits and enslaves the common man.

At least thats what it means in RebubSpeak.

One Empathetic Compassionate Neo Con . we all know and love was GW Bush.

Sounds like Daniels is running on " But I'm a compassionate Conserative."

[FightingTheRight]

10:22 AM on 06/04/2009

When Bill Clinton was elected President, the Right circulated a video that claimed the Clintons were drug dealers and murderers.

Nothing mean there.



When John McCain ran against George Bush for the Republican Presidential nomination the Right claimed that MCain had fathered a black child(one that he had adopted).

Nothing mean there.



When John Kerry ran against George Bush for the Presidency in 2004 his war record in VietNam was questioned, even though President Bush never served in VietNam.

Nothing mean there.



When Barack Obama ran for President against John McCain in 2008, his citizenship, religious affiliation and loyalty to the U.S. was questioned and he was called a Muslim(as if that was a bad thing) and a terrorist.

Nothing mean there.

[yemaya]

10:12 AM on 06/04/2009

So they think empathy will help them? Well, they ain't gettin any from me that's for sure!

[Grunty1]

09:51 AM on 06/04/2009

[Daniels also called those on the left of the political spectrum "the meanest people in politics."]

He misspoke. He wasn't looking for the word "empathy".

He was trying to say "projection"

[gintheb]

09:42 AM on 06/04/2009

The fury of the mighty Rush will rain down upon you for making that statement.

[GTFOOH]

09:32 AM on 06/04/2009

Where has he been? Republicans have been screaming for weeks that they don't believe in empathy!

[olmossy]

10:53 AM on 06/04/2009

They're mixed up . They believe in Apathy NOT empathy. Its an easy mistake. they allmost got it right.

[walleymr]

09:20 AM on 06/04/2009

"the meanest people in politics are on the American left" ... evidently, he didn't notice rep supporters at those McPalin rallies ...

[Grunty1]

09:50 AM on 06/04/2009

Pretty sorry piece of projection, isn't it?

[gettingitright]

09:20 AM on 06/04/2009

What planet is he on if he thinks the "left" is "meaner" than the "right"? Does he even have a radio?

[zest]

08:59 AM on 06/04/2009

So now they are on the search for "empathy" tour; good luck with that because it comes from within.

[MikeRdg]

08:49 AM on 06/04/2009

work harder to show "empathy" --- that leaves Romney out, not possible for The Mitt

[rjhuntington]

08:45 AM on 06/04/2009

Yeah, right, except the Republican party is compassionate only toward the wealthy. The GOP is patently hostile to the working class, so how can it ever show empathy toward the common man? It cannot, and now that working-class Republicans realize they've been used and duped and not included under the GOP tent, well, they're not Republicans any more.

Empathy! That's a good one! hahahahahahaha. Oh those poor, poor rich white men. Tsk tsk tsk. What ever will they do now?

[real1234]

08:03 AM on 06/04/2009

Michael Steele said, "empathize on my behind",