According to Jim Geraghty, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is really stepping up the pace on potential presidential ambitions. He has signed many top GOP consultants and created a new PAC to support other GOP candidates across the country this year and next year. Jim does have a few concerns about Pawlenty’s charisma, and it’s a fair concern given the rhetorical skills of Obama.
All good stuff, of course, but I was reminded of a conversation I had a few months ago with a top strategist for one of the Republican candidates of last year. He liked Pawlenty, but said he couldn’t describe himself as a believer: “Do you see Tim Pawlenty being the guy who gets up on a stage in fall of 2012 and rhetorically wins an argument against Barack Obama? No matter how hard I try, I just can’t see it.â€
As he points out, as much as Hillary and the GOP mocked his lofty rhetoric and pointed out the real problems of policies, Obama still won the primary and the election.
During the 2008 election, Gov. Pawlenty came to Pennsylvania as a surrogate on sportsmen’s issues. He warned about Obama’s history on gun rights when he helped kick off the Sportsmen for McCain coalition.
Whether you’re a gun owner or not, Pawlenty would be a huge improvement over the HopeChange we’ve got now.
Pawlenty is a good, decent man and a conservative. He is a smart politician and worked the system just right to fix his state budget over the screams and majority of Democrats. So he is effective.
In other years he would be a good candidate.
But he lacks the charisma and star quality of Romney or Palin.
The most charismatic figure is Palin by far. She is also a natural star and that is a quality that can not be learned.
She is starting to characterize her form of conservatism” common sense conservatism. It seems to be more libertarian and has differnet aspects. Her Hong Kong speech shows she has thought about the challanges of China in the next 20 years. She did not demonize China or Islam. She needs to clarify he positions and thoughts and foreign and economic policy. Her conservative philsophy seems clear without much need of explanation.
She also has a knack of distilling an issue to a few words. “Death Panels”, was genius and derailed Obama and the Health Care initiative.
So Pawlenty can try but if Palin chooses to run he will be steamrollered.
I do not know if Palin will run. But so far nothing has indicated she will not.
Romney is an excellent candidate and should have won the primary but McCain won with all the open primaries helping him and Christ in Fla throwing the state to him.
McCain just did not want to win enough and he screwed up when the bank collapsed occured. No one can stop a campaign just because of events. Campaigns continue through war and all else.
It is too early for 2012 . Lets get through 2010 first and pull Obama’s teeth. We actually have a a chance at restoring the Senate and big wins in the House.
She was unready when McCain picked her and it showed. But she has suffered the trial by fire and survived. She indicated that if opportunity presents it self that she will not close a door. I think that she will be presented with the opportunity and will run.
I am thinking, “anybody but Obama”, at this point!!
I think the odds are better with Mitt. Health Care is going to be a hot button issue for awhile. He’s actually done a health care reform at the state level. The fact that it has had certain challenges is a bonus, as there is some experience level of what problems can arise. He speaks clearly and well, though it would be nice to see a little preacher style fire every once in awhile.
I think it will be too difficult for Palin to shake the Caribou Barbie tag.
He promoted and supported a health care bill that even Deval Patrick is conceding is bankrupting the state. And that’s the voice you want for the GOP as a possible health care reformer? No thanks!
As for Palin, I don’t think she’s remotely electable at this point. Quitting definitely hurt her. However, she could use her position and PAC to play king maker in many a GOP races. That would be a fantastic role for her. She could play on her own terms that way.
Actually I was glad that Mass tried Romney care. However the state decreeing that everything plus the kitchen sink be covered killed the possible savings.
Deval Patrick screwed up the health insurance but states are good laboratories and Romney will be tainted with Mass’s failure.
Palin quitting did’ nt hurt her at all. It got her out early and she had huge accomplishments completed.
Alaska ethics law had her tied up in knots so she cut the gordian knot by quitting. It actually is a pattern she did before when she could not blow the whistle on corruption due to rules, she quit so she could blow the whistle.
Palin is strange as a politician. Her goals are more important than the position. The question is what are her goals? Going for President or getting rich. Somehow I do not see money as her big motivator.
I believe she wants America to get on the right track with fiscal restraint, limited government , release our ability to drill for oil and build nuclear plants.
Unless she is President I don’t see her accomplishing those goals. All she can do now is put spokes in Obama’s goals. Important but not as satisfactory.
All polticians want to make a splash or have some ideals. Pawlenty is just boring. Romney has being a morman and now heath care against him. Can he overcome that , Yes I think he can.
Obama’s alleged rhetorical skills are the Bigfoot of American politics. Many people claim to have witnessed them, but no one can point to an actual example. The guy is a mouthpiece for a teleprompter, for cryin’ out loud. If you separate him from his electronic crutch, any above-average politician can best him.
I wouldn’t count Pawlenty (or anyone else) out because of Obama’s exaggerated forensic abilities.
Look, I love making fun of his TOTUS crutch as much as anyone. But if you think that the fact that he uses a teleprompter to deliver speeches means he has no skills, you’re sorely mistaken. Did you not watch any of the debates? And do you ever watch any of his speeches that are delivered with a teleprompter? Rhetorical skills aren’t summed up solely by one’s ability to speak extemporaneously.
Put 90% of the population in front of a teleprompter and they cannot deliver a speech. They might be able to read a speech, but they cannot deliver it. Take another 9.9% of the rest and they can deliver one, but they cannot command an audience, muchless inspire them. You may not like the man or his policies, but you can hardly deny that he can’t deliver a speech, command an audience, and inspire a significant portion of the masses. I can’t stand what the man is preaching, but I will acknowledge that the man can preach.