Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour made a number of not-so-subtle solicitations of interest for the Presidency. Newspaper columnists and talk-show hosts talked up his potential to run.
As soon as his name his the headlines, people outlined his accomplishments as tenure as Governor of Mississippi. They also brought his previous work as a Beltway Lobbyists, a move which some argued would sour his chances with voters.
He has a commanding presence, a booming voice, plus a track record as a proven leader, having shepherded his native Gulf State through Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. In office, he instituted tort reform and medical insurance reform to lower medical costs in Mississippi, proposals which fiscal conservatives have been recommending to improve the quality and cost of health care in this country.
In addition to his accomplishments, Barbour has demonstrated remarkable character in making his decision not to run. Succinctly, he stated that he was not willing to make a ten-year commitment to a new career. This resolution shows accurate self-awareness, a character trait highly wanting and desperately needed by the next chief executive of the United States