Is Pawlenty the Evangelical Trifecta?

Posted at 5:08 PM on June 12, 2008 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)

David Brody, Senior Correspondent with the Christian Broadcasting Network, thinks so. Brody wrote this in his piece:

Yes, yes. Mike Huckabee. I know many evangelicals love him. But could Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty fit the bill for evangelicals too? Think about it. Minnesota is a purple state, he's popular articulate, young and handsome and an Evangelical to boot. Stop the presses! That's called the Evangelical trifecta.

Brody also cites other sources like a recent Minnesota Independent piece and the Baptist Press.

Comments (3)

Yeah, it could happen.

Pawlenty's name has been run up the flagpole for years by leading members of the Council for National Policy (CNP), the organization that controls and directs most of the right wing evangelical broadcast media in the United States.

The CNP, for those who don't know, includes such prominent religious right conservatives as James Dobson, Ralph Reed, Tim LaHaye and Paul Weyrich. They keep their proceedings secret; most evangelicals aren't even aware the organization exists.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is one of their proteges here in Minnesota. The CNP prefers to operate behind the scenes, if possible: the last time the CNP made headlines was when member James Dobson vowed to stop Rudy Giuliani's GOP presidential bid at a CNP meeting in 2007. McCain has courted their support; so has Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee--and George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. The CNP can probably deliver tens of millions of evangelical conservative votes.

The possibility of the CNP endorsing a Pawlenty for President bid has been discussed for years; it was a topic of discussion at their Orlando, Florida conclave in 2005.

Posted by Bill Prendergast | June 13, 2008 1:20 AM

Either Tim Pawlenty will honor his statement that he will complete his term as Governor or he won't. It seems he could settle this VP talk by declaring that he will complete his term as he said he would or he should just declare that his statement was not meant to be true and, therefore, what he says cannot be relied upon.

(Even Larry Craig had the presence of mind to note that it was his "intent" to resign even when he knew he had no intention to resign.)

Yes, if offered the VP slot it would be difficult to turn down but you either live up to your commitments or you don't. It is a matter of honor. You either have it or you don't.

Posted by Dennis | June 14, 2008 8:24 AM

You are so right Dennis. Wellstone showed his true colors when he ran for a third term. Pawlenty and Wellstone may be just two more lying politicians (except Pawlenty hasn't actually broke his pledge yet)

Posted by Tuck | June 20, 2008 12:41 PM

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