Pawlenty is an unknown and a big Yawn. The race is too close for an unknown.

You might as well say President Obama.

1. Elected official in Battleground State and is tried and tested

2. Young with nice family photo

3. Can identify with working man

4. Quite charming and comes off very well in person

well, back on the fence and leaning towards Barr again! Way to go Big Mac. Nothing says “conservative” like McCain/Pawlenty.

and won’t stand a chance against Biden.

Hope I’m wrong

Nobody knows this guy and McCain is not strong enough to carry an unknown. Horrible choice.

Emason

You registered here 6 hrs ago are you trying to cause trouble? I think perhaps

I can’t voice my opinion?

I think Pawlenty is an unkown and the country will say Who? when they hear this choice tomorrow.

Just about all of the other “short list” choices mentioned – with the exception of Cantor and possibly Romney – would have been much worse.

Maverick McCain plus a governor who has executive experience beats the two windbags (hope and dope).

just needs to win this thing. I hope this pick is the smart pick and works for him.
There is to much at stake this election to get upset about a VP pick in my humble opinion.

With all the talk of Lieberman possibly being on the ticket, it had me scared. Admittedly, don’t know more than what Erick’s posted about Pawlenty (thanks Erick!), but it sounds like he’s a solid conservative, which, IMHO, is exactly what McCain needed. Cantor would’ve been a great choice as well.

I have high hopes for this ticket, and hope that the conservatives who are put off by McCain can be energized by this pick.

Brian

Just because I think Romney would guarantee Michigan to McCain. And I think he could have pulled in some of the working folks from PA and OH too.

It seems like a pick that was intended not to hurt the Presidential Candidate, but one that is not particularly helpful. Other than MN, it doesn’t seem like he will be too helpful.

Thats the problem, many people have no idea who Pawlenty is. They are going to have to really push him over the next few weeks if this is going to work.

http://www.afa.net/petitions/vp/TakeSurvey.asp)

That’ll help with us womynfolk

and i’m still saying WHO?
Am a Rep.
Want to see where Palenty was on MOST of the Polls? This is just ONE.

http://www.afa.net/petitions/vp/TakeSurvey.asp

Pawlenty is a comfortable pick – comfortable for McCain and comfortable in appearance and demeanor. That beats the arrogance emanating from Biden, to say nothing of Obama.

This satisfies the rule of “do no harm.” It also helps with MN and possibly Wisconsin and Iowa – all in play.

I look for Pawlenty/Jindal in 2012.

Good ‘n’ Pawlenty!!!!

VP choices have never created hype. Unfortunately for the dems, having picked a serial plagiarist will probably hurt them.

FYI, Obambi still only up by a fraction of a percent in Colorado and their convention is in Denver? What gives? I would’ve figured an 8-10 point lead by now. Maybe they are awaiting the anointed ones speech. Do you think he will descend from the heavens or pop up out of the stage floor (like a Bon Jovi concert)??

McCain landed in Dayton and hardly anyone was there to greet him.

He needed a push not a Yawn.

I hope I’m wrong but I smell trouble for the G.O.P. after this pick.

a good guy.

One thing that concerns me is that Gov. Pawlenty promised Minnesota voters in May 06 that if they reelected him as Governor that he would serve out the FULL four year term.

His ambition in politics is no secret-he is well liked by the RNC.

Truthfully, I was hoping for Mitt Romney or longshot- Gov. Palin.

to gloat. I wrote four years ago that pawlenty would be the next VP choice. He was logical then and now. May help with upper Midwest, working class backgrounds drowns the Obama camps attempt to paint Biden as the working class catholic. I really think he neutralizes any attempt to run with that Meme in Pa Ohio Mi and Minn.

He certainly has strong credentials with the socon wing, as well his experience far outweighs either on the D ticket when it comes to practical application (executive experience) and shows that
McCain realizes that Pawlenty may not just be there as a figurehead but may actually play a role in the administration.

Yes it’s not a sexy pick, or ground breaking as would have been Palin, Steele, KBH st al, doesn’t have the huge potential upside of Romney, but comes without the huge potential pitfalls of Romney (he was out the nomen Mccain went after Bidens own words against Obama).

All in all a solid choice four years in the making

Next time, I’ll sleep through the Veepstakes.

If it came down to a choice between Pawlenty and Romney, everyone knows where my heart would be based on my prior advocacy.

Forget about that, because it’s just me. I can get sour and bitter, but I don’t hold grudges, I just stomp and complain a lot.

I’d rather have someone solid like Pawlenty in the final analysis than another Romney redux. Romney is a terrific candidate and he’s a real Republican, but Pawlenty is probably a better choice in this election because of all the things Erick mentions in the opening.

Maybe Romney can be Secretary of Commerce or something: maybe he can run in four years, I’d be happy to see him do it. But I’m not so beholden to Romney that I’ll say we shouldn’t pick Pawlenty instead.

and while McCain has 22 years in the Navy, and Pawlenty has 7 years as the CINC of the Minnesota Guard (which has deployed abroad)

the libs for the first time in decades have not a day of military service between them..

McCain either did not have the guts to pick Romney or he is still getting pleasure from NOT giving conservatives what they want.

I am not sending him money, no yard signs, no GOTV effort.

Hell, I hope he loses. The RNC needs to learn that we want CONSERVATIVE leaders, not those like McCain.

afterall McCain has not made an announcement yet and anything short of that is pure speculation.
BTW.i’m not from Kos.Ws told there might be word of the VP pick here-i found it hard to beleive it had been ‘leaked’ so i stopped in.
When i saw this;was surprised.
Anyway,think we’ll see about the big announcement that’s supposed to steal Obama ‘s thunder.
Till then-it’s STLL speculation.
Again,NO i’m not from Kos.
And NO i am NOT a democrat.

…from a campaign which has made a lot of good decisions recently.

Pawlenty is a Governor, and he can contrast his executive experience against Joe Biden who has never run anything.

Pawlenty knows how to talk to middle America, and that is where this election is being fought and won.

Pawlenty is a Sam’s Club Republican who came from a blue collar family. Hopefully he can talk to the Reagan Democrats who can’t connect with Obama.

Pawlenty is from MN which is looking winnable, and the convention will help there.

o n top of the ticket and VP is a waiting in the wings guy who could be POTUS if needed and maybe at the end of the POTUS term.

Pawlenty is smart,handsome,direct,a man of faith,experienced,and soundly conservative. A solid pick for McCain. I think Pawlenty may tone McCain down a bit.

Attack dog, we have one,John McCain!

nt

Is RedState confirming that it is indeed Pawlenty?

Bear with me first time poster. I like the pick. I saw a recent MN state poll that showed Obama +10. When Pawlenty was added as VP it was Mccain +3. Thats a big swing, and MN would be a huge pick-up.

Someone young and accomplished with proven experience, unlike the One.

I think TP will do fine against Biden in the debates. He’ll be far more likable, far more in tune with middle class voters on issues, with credible results and will make Biden look like the arrogant Senate fixture he is.

The Senate Lefty/Senate Lefty ticket or the War Hero-Maverick/Governor with Change Results ticket? With the electorate sick of Washington I’m liking our chances.

The next Vice President of the United States.

McCain made a sound pick. People don’t vote for vice presidents. They sometimes vote against vice presidents, but that’s about it.

Pawlenty isn’t the most exciting figure in the Republican firmament, but he’s not going to pull McCain down.

Romney, Lieberman, Ridge, etc., all had much more potential to create real problems for the McCain message.

but I don’t hate Pawlenty. Maybe they’ll win.

Proper grammar saves lives.

Let’s eat Grandma.
Let’s eat, Grandma.

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Activists Taking Action: Unified Patriots

I voted for Tim Pawlenty twice. He is a good and down to earth man. He can be tough too. The media here doesn’t care much for him, so that speaks volumes.

I got a chance to meet him during the ’06 election. He was shaking a lot of hands and I was in line, he got distracted by someone when it came my turn and he passed by me, then he turned around and said “hey, sorry guy” and came back and shook my hand. He is a conservative and he did a lot for the state of Minnesota. I think if he is the choice, then he is a good choice. Romney would have been good too as would Thompson or Huckabee, anyone but Lieberman. I am pround to have Tim Pawlenty as my Governor and he will make a fine VP.

The fact that he was re-elected in this liberal lala land is amazing, but we have Rep.John Kline (R) in my district, another fine man.

Go JMac!!!

but this Minnesotan LOVES the prospect of a Governor Molnau. She’s our version of Dick Cheney. Imagine the reaction of your lib friends if Bush were to retire & hand the Presidency over to Cheney. Tee-hee!

In all seriousness, what I like about Pawlenty is that he’s the same age as Obama yet has a better resume. This sharpens McCain’s message of “ready to lead”.

Probably sounds bitter to say that Obama was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But it’s true, he was raised by a wealthy oil man & a bank VP. He attended an elite prep school and was a legacy at Harvard. To be fair, Obama has made the most of his opportunities. That’s fine.

What frosts me is that someone with so many advantages in life was also able to benefit from affirmative action. Along with forced busing & racial gerrymandering, this was a result of the arrogant FDR/LBJ liberal consensus. It’s what pushed a lot of Democrats into the camp of Reagan.

I sound bitter, don’t I? Fortunately Pawlenty’s bio says what I’m saying without the bitterness. You have a real working class kid who has done well for himself. Not Harvard Law, but not bad.

His experience speaks to a lot of working-class white Democrats who resent having diversity shoved down their throats.

And a flight from Anchorage has landed in Dayton, Sarah Palin maybe?

http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate/2008/aug/29/happy-birthday-senator-mccain/

Here.