Posted on 07/28/2008 4:48:25 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Announcement coming “very soon.” Geraghty notes that Pawlenty’s still scheduled to give a routine speech on Wednesday, but TNR noted over the weekend that he’s already pulled out of one event and his plans for this week are suddenly and suspiciously hazy. See this recent item from Marc Ambinder, too, passing along a rumor that McCain was planning to meet with his inner circle about VP yesterday. And then of course there’s that CNN item claiming an attendee at a fundraiser heard McCain say conservatives are “really going to like” Pawlenty. Put it all together and today’s scurrilous veep du jour meme seems a tad less scurrilous than usual.
Here’s a bullet-point argument, again from TNR, about why Pawlenty is a “slam dunk” pick. His working-class pedigree is all to the good, but between the lack of name recognition and the “boring old Republican white guy” effect, I’m underwhelmed. He doesn’t even have serious religious cred to reassure antsy evangelicals. Let’s hope the report’s wrong, although given the general savviness of McCain’s campaign these days, it probably isn’t.
Update (Ed): Well, I live in Pawlenty’s state and have met him on a couple of occasions, and this pick would not make me too glum at all. Pawlenty has a good center-right track record, especially on holding the line on taxes with a hostile Legislature. He demonstrated real leadership during the bridge collapse and its aftermath, keeping the gas-tax-increase advocates at bay and convincing the rest of the state to ignore them. He’s also pro-life, and a humble but telegenic man who will inject a little vigor into the campaign.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
McCain’s people are putting tons of false rumors out. Likely he hasn’t chosen yet.
I really don’t see what advantage Pawlenty has over Romney. Romney is a much better campaigner.
I would be OK with Romney too, but I’d be a little concerned that there are a good number of Republicans who really hate him. McCain is already on thin ice and if Republicans who are disgruntled with him see him pick a VP they really dislike, it might be the last straw for them. I think Romney has more enemies than Pawlenty does.
But he’s also better-known and has important business connections. He probably wouldn’t be a bad choice. It sounds like Pawlenty is more conservative than he is though.
For the uninitiated, what the heck is CM?
That said, Pawlenty is a fairly good guy. I know I'm in the minority on that too but I think center right is accurate. His worst position is his Climate change idiocy but he really didn't jump on that bandwagon until he started lobbying for McCain's VP position, which started about two/three years ago.
Pawlenty is a bit of a snooze.
Conservative Republican governors were not supportive of Pawlenty's presentation on clean energy to the governor's association, which he gave in cooperation with Ed Rendell, who is the governor of Pennsylvania and the NGA's Democratic vice-chairman. With Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Pawlenty is co-chairman of the association's energy committee. The effort received "adamant opposition" from governors of oil producing states.
Pawlenty won the governor's race by just 21,000 votes in 2006, down from the 180,000 he won by in 2002. It looks like he doesn't wear well.
Get ready to start saying “yes, Commissar” as you use your rationing coupons to buy food and fuel
Tim Pawlenty, like Walter Mondale before him, has that charisma, or “Minnesota Magic” that really lights up a room whenever he is around.
I want him here in Minnesota. He’s our last line of defense; he’s vetoed a bunch of the DFL-controlled legislatures’s latest schemes to separate us from our money.
Please keep this “never heard of him” at home
WHAT A DISASTER!!!!!!!
That’s a very helpful site. Thank you.
Yeah, I love it. I didn’t realize before I sent it (at lunch, work) but they don’t have much on Pawlenty but I enjoy looking at everyone I get curious about someone from time to time. Has all senators, representatives, governors, etc.
And at the bottom they have that little test about where everything falls into place (the grid at the bottom of the page). I’ve taken it, I’m conservative/libertarian. It puts both Pawlenty and McCain as conservative close to populist. So perhaps not always correct?
If you haven’t taken that test, you should and see where you end up. I think if you google “worlds smallest political test” or worlds shortest political test”, you can find it.
Thanks, I will take the test later and let you know how I score!
Yeah, I really didn’t mean to say majority. I guess what I meant to say was that there is a large number of “conservatives”, this time, that are claiming that they will not vote for McCain. whether or not they really won’t vote for him still remains to be seen.
Well you're a few weeks ahead of me.
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