Pence rules out bid for president
(CNN) - Three sources close to Republican Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana tell CNN they are told he will announce he is not running for president in 2012 and will instead begin exploring a run for governor.
These sources say he has been flattered by the efforts to nudge him into the GOP presidential race but, as one of the sources put it, "he is a realist and kept coming back to questions about the fund-raising." The second source said some around Pence also have reminded him of the difficulty of mounting a presidential campaign from the House, and noted that, at age 51, he would have a better platform to explore a presidential run if he first was elected governor.
The Republican congressman from Indiana's 6th Congressional District easily won re-election in November, beating his Democratic challenger by more than a two- to-one margin.
The third ranking House Republican then announced that he would step down at the end of the year from his leadership role as Republican Conference Chairman, sparking more speculation that Pence might be gearing up for a White House bid or a run for Indiana governor.
The current governor, Republican Mitch Daniels, is term limited, and also the subject of speculation over a possible White House bid. Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman, also a Republican, announced late last month that she would not make a bid for the state's top job, increasing speculation that Pence would run for Indiana governor.
While Pence polls in the low single digits in most national surveys on a hypothetical 2012 GOP nomination match-up, he did create a lot of buzz by winning the presidential straw poll at the Values Voter Summit in September.
Earlier this month, two separate groups launched efforts to draft Pence make a bid for the White House.
If he announces for governor, a state ethics law passed last year would prevent Pence from campaigning immediately for the job. The measure prohibi
ts political fundraising by candidates for statewide office until the completion of the state legislature's session, which this year is scheduled to finish up in late April.
–CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Peter Hamby contributed to this report.
Well, it's a start. Now if every other Republican were to follow suit the country and the world might just become more decent and liveable.
Pence must not be as dumb as I thought he is. He was polling in single digit numbers,why would he believe he has as much of a chance as a snowball in hell?
I am an independent who supports Obama and progressive policies in general, and most of my friends and I believe that Mike Pence is a serious guy and no joke, and his skilfulness as a politician is ignored at the peril of the democrats.
I live in Indiana and I wouldn't vote for him. He's right wing loon. It his god or not at all.
Who's Mike Pence and why do we care that he is not running in 2012?
If he thought he had any chance of beating Obama, he'd run.
Oh gee with all the other republicans running you still are going to need a football field to hold the debates.
This idiot should stay a rep. We have enough trouble in Indiana with GOP governors ruining this state. Environment is a mess. State assets are sold off to foreign companies *think Spain knows ANYTHING about needing snow removal on an Interstate*. Bunch of dumb Hoosiers. They keep it up, they'll beat Mississippi in the race to the bottom.
Good! This right wing nut has absolutely no personality and no appeal across the country.
Give him credit for being smart enough to know he did not have any chance .........give him a spot on Faux News
He must have had an attack of common sense. The Tea Party is killing all GOP chances.
what a pathetic republican field of candidates.
palin, bachmann, ginrich, angle, huckabee, rudy, romney ...
It'll be a Romney/Christie ticket. And god help us all.
All I can say is talk is cheap. The democrats are really worried, because their guy obama is in deep trouble. The Republican nominee will overpower obama in the 2012 Presidential election, because obama has failed on his socialist agenda and the American people have awakened. Don't waste your vote on obama, vote Republican in 2012.
At least give Pence credit. He knew he didn't have a chance so why waste time. He is too far to the right to win a national election.
Pence is the smartest Republican we have come across.
And there's a very good reason he's ruling out 2012. He sees the field, looks at the Republican/Tea Party candidates, and has come to the conclusion that the GOP doesn't have a snowball chance in hell in '12.
Nice move Pence!