Barbour for president in 2012? We'll have to wait and see

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August 1, 2009

By Fredie Carmichael / editor The Meridian Star Sat Aug 01, 2009, 11:28 PM CDT

There was a lot of talk this week at the Neshoba County Fair from Gov. Haley Barbour about what he doesn't like about President Barack Obama's presidency.

But no doubt, there are two things the state's leading politician has in common with the president: both are politically savy and both have fans in the media who cover them.

While most would agree that Barbour certainly has his share of media critics in the state, he also has a lot of supporters.

This past week the governor hosted an annual tradition at the Perry Cabin at the Neshoba County Fair, a front porch conversation with reporters.

It's a chance for a handful of editors, publishers and reporters to chat with the governor and ask him anything we want.

As the sound of a public address announcer from the nearby horse races echoed in the background, Barbour, dressed in a baby blue polo with a "Katrina 2005" logo on the chest, khakis and brown loafers, sat and rocked back and forth on a second floor cabin swing.

Reporters sat in front of him in metal chairs as the governor spent the better part of an hour talking about the economy, Medicaid, Obama and his political future.

In the midst of the questioning, a publisher from a weekly newspaper asked Barbour if he would get an invite aboard Air Force One one day when the governor became president.

Barbour continued to rock, curled his lips under and then replied, "you're getting ahead of yourself" and easily transitioned back to a question about his role in helping elect Republican governors in 2010. The publisher, not satisfied, asked the governor the question again at the conclusion of the meeting.

"I'm serious now governor, we think you've got a shot," the publisher said.

The governor, in his easy southern drawl, walked closer and placed his hand on the publisher's shoulder. He used a hint of sarcasm, humility and personality to answer the question: "If I'm ever in charge of who gets to fly in Air Force One I promise you'll have a seat," Barbour said.

It was classic Haley — known as much for his down-home personality and quick-wit as his sound fiscal effectiveness and national political prowess.

His critics in this state's Democratic Party may scoff at his popularity, but they've yet to find a way to consistently beat him, especially politically. Like him or not, it's hard to argue his ability to shape policy and win whatever the political war of the day is in his home state.

Barbour was a Washington lobbyist turned head of the Republican National Committee in the early 1990s when GOP popularity was low. He helped spark a national turnaround in the party. The Wall Street Journal, in an article in January, said that, "If Newt Gingrich was the four-star general, Mr. Barbour was the field marshal."

And now, Barbour finds himself again in much the same position as in the early 1990s. This time, he's head of the Republican Governors Association at another critical time for the party.

He is credited with a lot, but his strength certainly seems to be in his economic policies — tax cuts, tight budgets, job creation. He's pretty crafty politically as well. Nearly every time his stance on Medicaid seemed doomed or undoable, he somehow got the votes he needed and at least won a tie, even with a heavy Democrat majority in the House stacked against him.

He knows what to use, how to use it and when. He's also become very popular nationally, mentioned numerous times on cable news channels and in print stories about possible GOP presidential hopefuls in 2012.

So does that mean he'll run for president? I doubt it. My reasoning: I think he understands it would be tough for a former Washington lobbyist to win the White House. More importantly, I think he's better suited and more comfortable in an advisor role.

"Strategist, fundraiser, helper ... we'll see," Barbour said in response to a question about what role he expected to play in the future of the GOP after his second and final term as governor comes to an end.

Aside from running this state, his main goal is to help elect Republican governors, he has said. So while I'm not convinced the two-term Mississippi governor will ever run for president, I do think he'll have plenty of say-so over who from his party does.

The other thing Barbour understands is that it will be hard to beat President Obama in 2012. He often credits the president's ability to sell ideas and communicate change to the American people. He also says politics are often cyclical and "the American people were ready for change."

Still, he believes his party has a shot.

"President Obama's personality is a lot more popular than his policies," the governor said from the front-porch swing at the Neshoba County Fair. Perhaps if Americans seem again ready for a change in 2012, he'll test out his own popularity.

Barbour told The Wall Street Journal recently that "Republican solutions are going to flow from the states, not from Washington."

We'll have to wait to see what role the governor from this state plays in that flow.

Fredie Carmichael is executive editor of The Meridian Star. E-mail him at fcarmichael@themeridianstar.com.

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