Newsweek interviews Pawlenty

Posted at 9:24 AM on December 21, 2009 by Tom Scheck (5 Comments)
Filed under: Tim Pawlenty

Newsweek's Howard Fineman sat down with Gov. Pawlenty a few weeks ago. The interview has some interesting nuggets.

For example, Pawlenty handicaps the GOP race in 2012:

"Is Mitt Romney running? I think he would clearly be the frontrunner, he and Palin. And there is Mike Huckabee, of course, and any number of people could emerge out of Congress."

On whether he'll run:

I'll just see. Nobody knows who I am, to speak of. I am known in Minnesota and a few pockets or circles of influence around the country. There is a legitimate question about whether somebody who is basically unknown, isn't independently wealthy, isn't famous, would have a chance.

On whether he personally believes in creationism:

Well, you know I'm an evangelical Christian. I believe that God created everything and that he is who he says he was. The Bible says that he created man and woman; it doesn't say that he created an amoeba and then they evolved into man and woman. But there are a lot of theologians who say that the ideas of evolution and creationism aren't necessarily inconsistent; that he could have "created" human beings over time.

And on when he knew McCain didn't pick him to be his running mate:

When they didn't take me out of the slot to speak in Denver outside the Democratic convention only days before ours was starting. I didn't just fall off the rutabaga cart, so I figured it out.

Read the full interview here.

Comments (5)

Tim, save yourself a lot of money and effort. Your candidacy would be about as relevant as a sno-cone stand at the North Pole!

ROMNEY / DeMINT in 2012!

Posted by BOSMAN | December 21, 2009 9:45 AM

Pawlenty, Palin, and Huckabee just re-elect Obamanation.

Posted by scdaddyo | December 21, 2009 10:16 AM

I loved his answer to "do you believe in creationism."

He doesn't want to stand up for the faith if that would cost him votes. So instead of saying what *he* believes--instead of telling people what evangelical Christians *know* the inerrant Bible says--he tells you what some other guys *might* believe.

Spoken like a true Christian, TP! That'll really impress the hell out the God you claim you fear and love.

At least the question shows that the Newsweek interviewer has a clue about Pawlenty. Pawlenty has been courting the national evangelical right since before he was governor--but you'd never know it from reading the political journalism on MPR or the Strib or the PiPress. He's been even more successful than Bachmann in keeping the "our religion must become your law" aspect of his career out the tiny little mental political narratives in the minds of Minnesota reporters and editors.

Posted by Bill Prendergast | December 21, 2009 1:11 PM

Tim Pawlenty fell off the rutabaga cart at some point in his life? Now that's newsworthy!!

Posted by Jeff Brand | December 21, 2009 1:29 PM

Questions from the first 1/3rd of the interview:

"Sarah Palin was on book tour. What is it about her that is so fascinating?"

"What is she saying about government?"

"Well, you say the same thing."

"Until literally hours before the convention, you were seen as the most likely pick to be Sen. John McCain's running mate. When did you realize you wouldn't be?"

"Did McCain explain to you why he picked her?"

"Do you think Palin is qualified to be president?"

"Did she help or hurt the ticket?"

Posted by Chris | December 21, 2009 4:46 PM

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