Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels could be on the short list of Republican hopefuls for the party's 2012 presidential nomination - even if he doesn't want to be.
The two-term governor said his 2008 run for office would be his last and he's not interested in the "savagery" of a national campaign, according to the Associated Press.
Ray Scheele, a political science professor at Ball State University, said he's taking Daniels' word that he doesn't want to run for president, at least for now.
"Daniels has a long public service record," Scheele said. "He was close to [Sen. Richard] Lugar when [Lugar] was mayor of Indianapolis. He has been close to national campaigns long enough to know the huge time and monetary investment involved with them. He's realistic. I take him at his word. But, that doesn't mean things won't change. The GOP has only a few national leaders. As more and more people talk, his name will get mentioned more."
Daniels' strongest attribute is his experience as a governor, Associate Professor of Political Science Dan Reagan said.
He said four of the last six presidents served as governors before moving into the Oval Office. Voters can better relate to a candidate versed in local issues such as crime and education, Reagan said.
"Governors are where the country turns to find presidents," he said. "As for other governors, [Mitt] Romney didn't have strong ties to conservatives and [Sarah] Palin had problems in other places. Daniels could leap frog and make a serious run."
Daniels' fiscal discipline, national experience and conservative ties could play well with party leaders if he decides to be a contender, Scheele said.
"He's a rising star right now," Scheele said. "We'll see how far it goes."
Derek Bray, president of the Ball State College Republicans, said he thinks Daniels has as good of a chance as any other candidate to win the nomination.
"I think he would be a good candidate, but that all depends on if he wants to run," Bray said. "That shows you the best leaders are reluctant leaders. He wanted to be governor of Indiana to fix the problems, and he has accomplished that. I appreciate everything he's done for us."
Mike Uehlein, president of the Ball State University Democrats, said Daniels chances at 2012 will depend on the public's perception of George W. Bush. Daniels campaigned on the slogan "My Man Mitch," a nickname given to him by Bush during his time as the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
"He's relatively unknown on the national stage," Uehlein said. "When that topic comes up, we'll see what the public thinks."
Scheele and Reagan both said that Daniels has done nothing to suggest he wants to be a candidate, especially because there is still a long time until he needs to make an announcement.
"It's way too soon to have too much confidence saying he's going to make a run for the presidency," Reagan said. "Political worlds change in huge ways in a short amount of time. It's too early to tell."
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