What really happened at the Verizon Wireless Center

We've spent days talking about the size of the crowd and the nature of Palin's speech last week in Noblesville.  Both were impressive.  But, in my humble opinion, a larger story emerges from the event with implications beyond the 2008 Election.

Did Mitch Daniels deliberately miss the event in order to give LG Becky Skillman a more significant role?  Was her resounding introduction of Sarah Palin a preview of what we should expect to see in 2010 or 2012?

It struck me early on that it didn't make sense for Mitch Daniels not to attend.  I know Daniels was attending another event, but where else could he have interacted with 25,000 excited grassroots activists of his own party?  No better time than last week's Palin event exists to motivate the Party to work hard to "Get out the Vote" in these last few weeks.  The Mitch campaign wasn't absent.  His RV was there and the team worked the crowd effectively (and I don't criticize them for their decision- his folks are a lot smarter than me).

Instead, Becky Skillman could be seen working the crowd before and after the event.  She gave a resounding speech introducing Palin.  Perhaps one of the best I've hear from her.  She stood by Palin on the podium after the speech while attendees pressed themselves to shake her hand.

If Daniels would have attended he would have by necessity been a speaker at the event.  Skillman may not have spoken at all or would have simply been a prelude to his speech.  But with him gone, Skillman was as close to the main event as she could have been.  Was it deliberate?

I spoke with a couple of individuals close to Skillman in the days after the event.  No one specifically suggested that this was a planned conspiracy, but neither was it denied.  Everyone held the universal opinion that it was a great moment for her as she considers her future plans.

I've asked Skillman about her plans and it's clear she would rather not entertain the issue so early, but if she was planning to run for statewide office she got a great start last week.