As Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels considers whether to run for President, I can think of lots of reasons not to support him. Despite his focus on fiscal responsibility, he presided over the Bush Administration’s profligacy, helping fritter away the healthy economy left by Bill Clinton. While he’s never been a “hater,” neither has he demonstrated any moral compunctions against playing to the prejudices of the GOP base–if we had any doubts about his willingness to let personal ambition trump any tendency to do the right thing, those doubts were put to rest when he signed the bill de-funding Planned Parenthood, and effectively denied medical care to more than 20 thousand poor women.
What is certainly NOT a reason to oppose him, however, is his Syrian ancestry.
The same sorts of people who insist that Obama couldn’t possibly be a “real” American (he’s black, you know) are now throwing stones at Daniels because he received an award from an Arab-American group. Daniels’ family background is Syrian, and–like Jewish groups, African-American organizations, etc., this organization recognizes members of its community who have achieved. Bloggers have reacted by connecting the Governor to every anti-American act ever associated with any Arabs anywhere.
This has to stop. Being American means evaluating people based upon who they are and what they do, not on the basis of their “tribes”–their race, religion or national origin. Like Obama or Daniels–or dislike them–based upon their policies and behaviors, and cut the ugly crap out.
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