Pawlenty Acts, Sounds Like Presidential Candidate

Bob McCarty Writes ^ | 2-27-10 | Bob McCarty

[BobMcCartyWrites]

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) delivered a speech Friday night in St. Charles, Mo., and gave many the impression they were watching a presidential candidate test the waters.

[BobMcCartyWrites]

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty headlined the Missouri Republican Party's 111th Annual Lincoln Days kickoff banquet Friday night, delivering a speech that gave many of the more than 850 attendees the impression they were watching a prospective 2012 presidential candidate test the waters.

Following speeches by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and three members of the state's Congressional delegation (Reps. Roy Blunt, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Todd Akin), Governor Pawlenty took the stage at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles. For more than 30 minutes, seemed to push all of the right buttons by combining personal anecdotes and humor with serious messages about the nation's past, present and future.the two-term Republican. After the speech, he shook hands for more than an hour before meeting with five members of the St. Louis news media and me. [Note: In this video, the last question asked is mine.]

[PaleoBob]

Pawlenty is an OK guy but he has a fatal flaw, politically speaking. That is, he is not Sarah Palin.

[Spudx7]

He’s rather dull. Maybe that’s what the country needs, as a opposed to a cult like figure, but still...dull.

[Brices Crossroads]

“He’s rather dull.”

Rather dull? He is positively soporific. The only path for him to the Presidency is to get placed on a ticket and to ascend to the Presidency via succession.

Oh. And he is not a conservative. Believes in Cap and Tax, etc. He is the fallback candidate for the Establishment when Mitt crashes and burns (or fails to get off the ground)

[campaignPete R-CT]

St. Charles, Mo.

must be the new gateway to the GOP nomination. Some will think it is odd that he was there. How large of a crowd was it? major event?

[csmusaret]

Every time I see Pawlenty speak he reminds me of a wanna be tugging on the cool guys sleeve saying “Hey check this out.”

[Brices Crossroads]

“he is not Sarah Palin.”

None of the backbencher Establishment candidates are going to be able to compete with her. They are all outmatched.

And there are no conservatives who can mount a challenge to her. I invited any posters here on FR last week to advance the names of any conservative who would be a better President than SP AND who could defeat her in a GOP primary. In over 600 posts, no one came up with anyone; the most frequent names mentioned were Mike Pence and Jim Demint, but no one seriously asserted that they could beat her.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2456470/posts

[campaignPete R-CT]

22 months before Iowa, he’s hit the trail big time. Musta gotten good press from STL media ... TV?

he’s gotta get to MO sometime, he’ll be awful busy in ‘11. How much could he legitimately accomplish with a speech like this? a political crowd who largely aren’t committing to anyone near term.

[Grunthor]

He’s an enviro-wacko. No thanks.

[campaignPete R-CT]

I expect Mitt to fade and that Pawlenty will be the man to beat .. so if his detractors want to stop him, who will be the consensus choice? Palin. Can she afford to write off NHampshire by winning everywhere else? It may sound too much like Huckabee’s campaign in ‘08 which died in SC and FLA.

[Grunthor]

I will support Palin in the primary, and out of Pawlenty, Myth or almost anyone else that might run, I will vote for them in order to rid us of Obummer.

[SoConPubbie]

He’s a Man-Made Global Warming believer.

He’s not a contender as a result.

[REDWOOD99]

Pass.

[Al B.]

He is the fallback candidate for the Establishment when Mitt crashes and burns (or fails to get off the ground)

Just as in 1980 wth Reagan, there are 2 candidates fo 2012, Palin and Stop Palin. Right now 'Stop Palin' is represented by Mitt Romney, with Pawlenty, Thune and Mitch Daniels currently in the bullpen.

[campaignPete R-CT]

supporting Palin “in the primary” isn’t going to matter if she doesn’t have a serious plan for winning.

I have a hard time picture too many Palin victories outside of IA. SC maybe. Florida? I just don’t see the whole thing happening

[ExcursionGuy84]

If Sarah comes out for Rubio, then her 2012 election probabilities for obtaining Florida's 27 Electoral votes goes up incrementally.

And It would be so-against Sarah's M.O. to pull for Gov. Crist--despite his reliance upon McCain.

[FreeReign]

If Sarah comes out for Rubio, then her 2012 election probabilities for obtaining Florida's 27 Electoral votes goes up incrementally.

And of course Rubio has to ask Palin for her support before she can support him.

[Grunthor]

“supporting Palin “in the primary” isn’t going to matter if she doesn’t have a serious plan for winning.”

Try as you might, you will not get me to support this RINOPOS in the primary.

[Brices Crossroads]

“’Stop Palin’ is represented by Mitt Romney, with Pawlenty, Thune and Mitch Daniels currently in the bullpen.”

Those four don’t amount to much of pitching rotation. Thune seems like a pretty good conservative, but not inspiring or well known. But Pawlenty is a terrible candidate and a Cap and taxer. Mitch Daniels is a tax hiker and Bush’s OMB Director if I remember right. No, thanks.

And Mitt. Well, we all know what he is.

SP will smoke this group.

[Bigun]

Tim Pawenlty is just what the RINO ordered!

No thanks!