WASHINGTON – Republican Haley Barbour sat in one of those beige hotel meeting rooms that fill this city of endless meetings. Nearing the end of his second and final term as Mississippi’s governor, he hasn’t formally declared but clearly is on the verge of running for president.
Whether you sit across from him or watch him speak to a crowd, you are instantly aware that he is very comfortable in his own skin. His confidence is inviting, not arrogant.
Born and raised in Yazoo City, Miss., he has appeared on the national stage as chairman of the Republican National Committee (during the 1994 sweep of the House and Senate) and the Republican Governors Association (which won 31 governorships between 2009 and 2010). He guided both in mammoth fundraising.
Real Clear Politics
3/21/11
Magnolia Tribune
