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The 'we matter' index

Posted at 7:40 AM on August 8, 2008 by Bob Collins (6 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

With Barack Obama's dash-for-cash on Wednesday and pancakes stop on Thursday, let's update the Visit-o-Meter.

In other political "we matter" news, the New York Times today has a profile of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, hot on the heels of his political cotillion at the National Press Club this week.

It's an interesting profile, and a reminder that even though he's been governor here for almost six years, and served in the House before that, and even though he has a penchant for dropping tidbits about his daughter into political speeches, and even though we know he likes hockey, we really don't know much about the personal life of Tim Pawlenty.

After reading the article, we still don't.

By the way, the governor's official biography on the state's Web site has been updated recently. Among other changes, this first line was added:

TIM PAWLENTY is regarded as one of the nation's most innovative, energetic, reform-minded and accomplished governors.

Comments (6)

How would you record Pawlenty on the visitometer if he is the GOP VP pick?

Posted by Alison | August 8, 2008 9:04 AM

I haven't decided yet. He probably won't register because he'll probably be out of town most of the time. Coming home to sleep doesn't count.

What will be interesting to see is if John McCain stops coming to the state if he picks Pawlenty.

Posted by Bob Collins | August 8, 2008 10:03 AM

It would be interesting, but I think it would be a mistake for McCain to stop visiting if Pawlenty is the VP nominee. On election day, you're not voting for the second name. The name that matters is the top of the ticket, and I believe that voters want to see the candidate himself.

Posted by MR | August 8, 2008 10:08 AM

It does seem like the "real" Tim Pawlenty is hard to get a handle on.

Pawlenty is undoubtedly energetic (is it ADD?) as witnessed by the large number of vetoes he's cast, but "accomplished?" (again, unless you count vetoes, he hasn't accomplished much of anything that I can see -- unless constantly saying "no" to raising enough revenue to keep Minnesota a world-class state counts as an accomplishment ...)

Innovative and reform-minded? That's a stretch. His idea of Sam's Club Republicans is just another way of describing people who vote against their own interests.

And here's something I'd like to see as a "News Cut" topic:

When a politician has an approval rating of, say, 56%,
why does that entitle the media to say that that politician is considered, according to the poll results, to be doing a good job? 56% is more favorable than not, but that's about as much as can be said.

It would be equally accurate to say that a very high percentage of those polled don't think the politician is doing a good job. And if we're grading on a curve, 56% would be equivalent to a D-.

I think it is incumbent on the media to be more accurate when reporting on approve/disapprove poll results.

Posted by Bob | August 8, 2008 10:59 AM

You'll have to show me a case of where the media has felt it's entitled to say a politician is doing a good job.

On almost every one of the job approval surveys, the specific question is whether people think he's doing a good job or not.

Keep in mind, the media is plural so I'm not in a position to defend "them" as an "it"

Most of the poll stories I've edited over the years have nothing in it about the media, but point out the numbers and present the opinons of those people being surveyed.

Posted by Bob Collins | August 8, 2008 2:28 PM

All you have to do is click on the link to his bio. Take a look at his expression on his face. Does it say, I am a good leader I care about the people of the United States or is it the look of " I am a smug smarty pants who made it far in life and if I did so can you."

sams club republican ...
indeed.

Posted by thriftstoreleftist | August 8, 2008 4:22 PM

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