Lowry crowns Daniels the “anti-panderer,” declaring that the Indiana governor “seems temperamentally incapable of unseriousness.”

Lowry swoons over Daniels willingness to grab hold of the third rails of America politics, writing: “Out of this miasma of evasion, Mitch Daniels strides purposefully, walking all over the third rail in his deliberate, plainspoken Hoosier style.”

The National Review editor concludes by writing of Daniels, “He’s the kind of guy who makes you think, ‘He should run for president — and probably won’t.’”

But Lowry seems to miss the point on Daniels.

First, the grassroots isn’t feuding with Daniels because he isn’t pandering to their issues — Daniels is completely rejecting them, calling for a truce on the many social issues that keep the grassroots organized.

Second, in terms of being “incapable of unseriousness,” Daniels, may not be prone to pandering, but he is just as susceptible to creating political publicity stunts.

His cover story interview with the Weekly Standard featured art of Daniels riding a motorcycle, and he’s pledged to ride his Harley through Iowa if he runs for president. That’s not exactly the barnstorming entitlement reform lecture series Lowry seems to picture from Daniels.

If Daniels doesn’t run, who is third on Lowry’s list?