The Case For Pawlenty
The New York Times is reporting that friends of Mitt Romney say that he has reached a decision about who will be his running mate. (And that he may announce this week!) Others say that Rob Portman and Tim Pawlenty stand out among the rest of the candidates:
The country received only an abbreviated introduction to Mr. Pawlenty, 51, a former two-term governor of Minnesota, whose working-class roots, experience outside Washington and evangelical faith have formed the core of his appeal to a broad spectrum of Republicans.
While Mr. Romney has kept more distance from the rest of his primary challengers, he has embraced Mr. Pawlenty, seeking his advice about running against President Obama and sending him to Republican events on his behalf. They began forging a closer relationship last year on a visit to the Romney family’s lakeside home in New Hampshire, aides said, and during debates this year when Mr. Pawlenty often traveled with the Romney campaign after dropping out of the race himself.
He has emerged as one of the most energetic cheerleaders and forceful defenders of Mr. Romney, firing back against Republican skeptics and Democratic critics alike. All but forgotten are the days when Mr. Pawlenty coined the troublemaking term “Obamneycare,” suggesting that few differences existed between the health care plans of Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama.
My husband followed Pawlenty back in 2008 when the Minnesota governor was campaigning for John McCain. And he also interviewed him at that time.
His own view is that Pawlenty was a great retail campaigner, had a nice personal touch, is much warmer than Romney, and is smart and insightful on the policy front. (I hope Mark's not referring to his "health taxes" on cigarettes and the like.) He did, as the Times points out, win a 44-day transit strike back in 2004 over compensation and retirement benefits.
He's the originator of the term "Sam's Club Republican" to describe working-class Republicans, a group he loves to target. He is the real deal when it comes to a blue-collar background and I do think some voters care about that.
I don't really have a say in this, given my own ambivalence about the top-line candidate, but I don't think Pawlenty is a bad choice.
My mom thinks he and Portman are low on the excitement scale. But I think he's a slow burn and if they announce he's the choice early, it could serve them well.
What do you think?
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Comments:
May '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
I think real "friends" don't talk to the The New York Times.
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Pawlenty is fine, but he lost me when he cut off the mullet.
Nov '11
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Pawlenty kind of lost me when he backed off of "Obamneycare". It was such a lame answer. But I know virtually no one else was paying attention at that point -- so the thing I primarily remember him for might well be essentially irrelevant.
Dec '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Is it the most convential thing to do? Then Romney will probably do it. Scary (or sad) thought: adding Pawlenty to the ticket to spice things up...
From what I've seen of Pawlenty he seems perfectly acceptable. I've given up on a rock star of any sort in this race.
May '12
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
He attacked then backed off on RomneyCare. I doubt that Romney would be comfortable with a Rahm Emmanuel type attack dog, and I suspect a whole lotta people are actually sick of that nonsense, but does Pawlenty have even a Mini Dobie in him?
Jun '11
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
"My mom thinks he and Portman are low on the excitement scale."
In addition to being quite circumspect, your mother is very correct.
With all of the potentially exciting running mates to choose from.......
Aug '11
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
michael kelley: "My mom thinks he and Portman are low on the excitement scale."
In addition to being quite circumspect, your mother is very correct.
With all of the potentially exciting running mates to choose from.
You know, I'm just fine with some low-excitement candidates. The last thing we conservatives should want is a "messiah" of our own to replace The One. The left beclowned itself with its slobbering love affair for Obama. I'm perfectly happy with Mr. Boring. I see it as a chance to push the reset button on the intermingling of politics with celebrity.
Edited on July 16, 2012 at 4:02pmMay '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
I heard Pawlenty speak at CPAC last year (I think it was 2011...) and have heard his call-ins to the NARN and Hewitt radio shows. While his quick drop-out from the primary was odd, and the "Obamneycare" line hurt, I guess it was a good line. His radio time suggests he is a nice guy and perfect for the VP job. I think he's a better, better-tested pick than Portman. I'm on board!
Jun '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Because he's a nice guy, people seem to think he's a pushover. But he has another side.
(for some reason, he's wearing a University of New Hampshire jersey here. Hmmmmm.)
May '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
By the way, allow me to add that Pawlenty is a personable, nice quick-witted person. I don't think anyone, including Ryan or Rubio or Portman or McDonnell would be a better media surrogate. He complements Romney very well. Im sensing that six hour meeting Pawlenty had with Portman was for the latter to run OMB. I also think Pawlenty has more pluses for VP than Rubio
May '12
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Gov. Pawlenty is a sound choice. At the end of it all we are voting for the top of the ticket. The last thing Gov. Romney needs is anyone with potentially more charisma to overshadow him at the convention or on the trail.
Feb '12
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty would be an excellent choice. As a Minnesotan, I can attest to his great governance skills - so he's well equipped to step in if something happened to Romney.
He also brings an additional benefit over many of the other possible choices: we wouldn't lose a conservative Senator or Representative - we need to keep all of those that we presently have!
May '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Oops--six hour meeting Portman had with Romney I mean
Mar '11
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Romney/Pawlenty 2012: Because Competence Trumps Charisma
Jun '12
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
My first instinct on Pawlenty and Portman is to yawn, though on substance I have no objections to either. It's just that their style is so vanilla ice cream, especially given Romney's already uber-RINO and vanilla ice cream presence. I do like Pawlenty's blue-collar roots, and his apparently serious faith. However, that is the first I've seen of Pawlenty's hockey pics. Pawlenty should have been made the hockey schtick (man that's a good pun) his brand from the beginning, he might have made the top of the ticket.... You all and Ponnuru have convinced me that Rice is probably not the right call
Edited on July 16, 2012 at 4:39pmeither. I'd prefer Jindal to Pawlenty or Portman. But if Pawlenty is the pic we need to get hockey exhibitions set for every state. Could get at least some testosterone cred out of that. Could Pawlenty conceiveably pull MN into the GOP column? If so, that would be a help.
Sep '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
YAWN
May '11
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
Pawlenty embarrased himself in the Iowa debate.
If memory serves, he attacked Bachman's sanity/stability.
Then, rather than make specific arguments against Romneycare, he mindlessly kept chirping "Obamneycare" like a parrot with a one-word vocabulary.
Jun '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
The Better Half: Former Minnesota District Judge Mary Pawlenty:
Dec '11
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
ctlaw: Pawlenty embarrased himself in the Iowa debate.
If memory serves, he attacked Bachman's sanity/stability.
So what was the embarassing part?
Jul '10
Re: The Case For Pawlenty
That ticket has all the excitement of a day-trip to Delaware.