For a guy who’s played very little on the national stage, Gov. Rick Snyder is picking up surprising looks as a possible Republican presidential contender.

Credit his so-far masterful handling of the Detroit bankruptcy for lifting the governor’s profile. Lately, every time Snyder’s name is mentioned in the national media, it’s followed by the words, “a potential candidate for president in 2016.”
Snyder has passively fueled the speculation by not denying an interest, while not confirming it either. And he’d have to be handicapped as a long shot if he did get in the race.
But a country weary of inept ideologues at its helm might rally to a pragmatic problem solver with a record of getting the job done in a state that was nearly as screwed up when he took over as the nation is today.

“Absolutely he’s a viable candidate,” says Michigan pollster Steve Mitchell. “He’s a Republican governor from a swing state — if he wins reelection this fall by eight or 10 points, he’ll be an attractive option.”