Pawlenty Lowers Expectations, So He Can Beat Them

NY Times ^ | July 21, 2011 | Michael Shear

[ejdrapes]

Pawlenty Lowers Expectations, So He Can Beat Them
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR
July 21, 2011, 7:19 am

There was a time not too long ago when Tim Pawlenty was actively positioning himself as the No. 2 heavyweight in the Republican presidential race of 2012 and the obvious alternative to the front-runner, Mitt Romney.

Not so much anymore.

Now, with national polls showing him stalled at the bottom of the pack, Mr. Pawlenty and his staff are busy trying to lower expectations for the former Minnesota governor.

The new Tim Pawlenty has his sights set on placing “sixth or seventh” in the Republican straw poll in Ames, Iowa, on Aug. 13, even though barely that many candidates are competing in the early contest.

And Mr. Pawlenty’s advisers now openly concede that their candidate is not running a “national campaign” for the White House. Rather, Nick Ayers, Mr. Pawlenty’s campaign manager, says, “we’re focused on the early states.”

By “early states,” Mr. Ayers largely means Iowa. And in Iowa, the campaign right now is all about Ames, where Saturday’s event serves as a referendum on the ability of a campaign to organize its supporters. Mr. Pawlenty has begun a multiday tour that will take him back and forth across Iowa.

But the key is not victory, his campaign says. It’s about showing “momentum.”

[ejdrapes]

I didn't think we could get worse than Mitt Romney but with T-Paw we come very close.

[dirtboy]

I didn't think we could get worse than Mitt Romney but with T-Paw we come very close.

Hardly. T-Paw is a squish but he is nowhere near the utter flip-flopping weasel that Romney is.

But go ahead, keep bashing any GOP candidate with a last name other than Bachmann, while you whine about how horribly she is treated on FR.

[blue-duncan]

Pawlenty is the personification of low expectations.

[Logic n' Reason]

This country is at war. Yes, externally, but equally important (or maybe more so) internally. It is very much a matter of the view of the left against the view of the right.

And we've come right down to the final battle looming in Nov., '12.

We sure as hell do not need any Quizlings as candidates, nor, god help us all, as a nominee.

[ScottinVA]

Pawlenty is wasting his and his backers’ time. He comes in late on most pertinent issues and has all the charisma of a potato.

His candidacy is going nowhere; OTOH, if his presence takes primary votes away from Romney, then I say keep it up.

But, no way is he going to win the nomination.

[ejdrapes]

I’ve seen no evidence he’s taking anything away from Romney.

[9YearLurker]

He doesn’t seem to be taking anything away from anyone.

[ScottinVA]

I’ve seen no evidence he’s taking anything away from Romney.

I agree, it's hard to discern whether that's actually happening, especially since Pawlenty so far is registering barely a blip.

[definitelynotaliberal]

I’m a MN resident, and I have nothing against Pawlenty, per se. He didn’t do a great job here, but on occasion, he did deliver. But he’s not a conservative by any means. How could any Republican look at the elections of ‘10 and believe that we would ever vote for someone who was not conservative? Even if Republicans have got away with it in the past, they can’t pull it off this time. So it is to me, if no one else, almost offensive that people like Pawlenty think that they have a chance.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Pawlenty Lowers Expectations, So He Can Beat Trip Over Them

fixed

[definitelynotaliberal]

*gasps in horror*

No way is Pawlenty going to win the nomination, you say? But the pundits have made that pronouncement already, haven't they? Surely, you wouldn't think to contest the opinions of our lordly prognosticators! If Bill O'Reilly and Charles Krauthammer have spoken, the final word has been said.

/s

[ScottinVA]

LOL!

[Elendur]

Hardly. T-Paw is a squish but he is nowhere near the utter flip-flopping weasel that Romney is.

But go ahead, keep bashing any GOP candidate with a last name other than Bachmann, while you whine about how horribly she is treated on FR.
///
Amen !!!

sure i hope Sarah will run. ...because i believe she has the BEST chance of getting rid of OBAMA!
but i’m not working for her full time, from her home state...
(and political posts are not even in my top 5 here.
i actually post mostly about other things, especially about Islam and AGW.)
but according to him, anyone who offers a hint of criticism to Rollins GROSS mismanagement of a GREAT conservative lady (Bachmann), is a “palinista”.

and if Pawlenty is so unelectable, then what is the purpose of posting this article? simply because he dared criticise her?
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/19/news/la-pn-pawlenty-bachmann-20110719
and for the record, i prefer Bachmann to Pawlenty, or any announced candidate except Cain. and i will support her and vote for her, if she is the nominee.

[dirtboy]

Pawlenty is probably at the very bottom of the list of candidates I could willingly support in 2012. Romney, Rudy and RuPaul are not on that list. I have no particular drive to defend him at this point.

But there is a small contingent of Bachmann supporters who can't stand any actual or even perceived slight of Bachmann and whine about how horribly she is treated here and then turn around and trash the other candidates every chance they get.

Behavior typically classified as hypocrisy.