Do you think Gov. Tim Pawlenty could win the presidency?
Posted at 6:00 AM on September 25, 2009
by Eric Ringham
(73 Comments)
Filed under: Politics/Government
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is taking steps to form a political action committee, considered a step toward a potential run for the presidency in 2012. His travel and speaking schedule also suggest that he may be trying to build his support outside Minnesota. Do you think Gov. Tim Pawlenty could win the presidency?
Comments (73)
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He says he didn't raise taxes when i fact he did. He just passed the buck on to the county
Pawlenty is not for Minnesota and never was. He had this idea about running for
president from the get -go. He is a lightweight and will never be elected .
Thank God we sure don't need another Bush clone.,
the only way he could win the election is if the repubs rig the election like they did in 2000 when kathy harris removed over 50k legally registered voters from the florida ranks
Tim P. showed his true colors when he openly supported outsourcing
he openly said he was against helping people who were about to be forclosed on
he raised a TAX on cigarette 6 bucks a carton
but came up with some nonsense bullcrud word to describe the tax so as to not call it a tax.
HE is the worst kind of repunk
he shafts the common people and then says he was a great leader
NOT
but then Baby bush screwed texas up big time and the rupunks rigged him in 2 tiimes
thats the scarey thing
Poor Question.
Obama has been in office less than a year. Please, just ignore this man's posturing.
It's far, far too early to be churning the political waters over the next presidential election.
This advice applies to any utterly premature campaign.
No, thank God!
Well look at his credentials.... he CUT health care for Minnesotans this year by slashing the GAMC. SOO if health care is still a bottom line for people than clearly Pawlenty is not the choice. PS it seems in my opinion he cut the GAMC for professional gain. So he could say he didn't raise taxes in MN for the past years he has been in office. He is a slimy slug. I will do anything to prevent him from being elected.
No, no, NO! It's bad enough our state is reeling from his irresponsibility and neglect, I wouldn't wish this on the rest of the nation... if he'd had a genuine vision and not his merely own overarching political ambition in mind, he might have been a good governor. What a waste, and what a disaster for MN.
no. and he's not worthy of my explaining why.
I tuned in this guy in the middle of his statement on the radio once (MPR, even) and thought, mmm, he sounds like a reasonable politician. Then I heard who it was. It is amazing that he can sound so reasonable when he does such disastrous things. I hope that he doesn't follow in George W.'s footsteps--but am afraid with the right pr campaign, he might.
I think it will be hilarious if he manages to pull a victory a the primaries. Then, as a proud Minnesota citizen, i can do everything in my power to make sure that he doesn't win his own state in the final election. I shudder at the thought of having Pawlenty-ism spread through the country like a wild fire, but there a few things i could look forward to. For instance, consider this: a Pawlenty/Palin ticket, or better still, a Pawlenty/Bachmann ticket. i can still dream...
Sure he could win. Not because he is particularily good at what he does because he is not. He is a poor leader and demonstrated this time and again. Consider that the American people elected George W. Bush twice and you have your answer. Bush, Pawlenty, Coleman and their ilk have literally runined our country in the last 8 years and they are the moderates in their party. I wouldn't vote for Tim Pawlenty for dog catcher let alone President of the United States. He is mean-spiritied, married to business interests and now pandering to the religious fanatics that run the GOP.
I'm not a DFL activist. As for the call-in shows on MPR, it is obvious that MPR bends over backwards to make sure they're not favoring the left over the right. In fact they go way too far, giving Tim Pawlenty, for just one example, unfettered access to their air, reporting on every press release his machine spits out, and giving him more time than any other politician to spin his right-wingism ad nauseum.
And Pawlenty NICE?!?! This is the guy who, when people protested his plan to cut off health care for needy Minnesotans, he called them "whiners." How nice is that? A Pawlenty presidency would be just as evil as W's administration.
Well, I see that many of the responders here have been the DFL activists, the same ones that choke the phones on Midday whenever there's a political call-in show. Many of their assessments are simple partisanism.
Tim Pawlenty has shown admirable quasi-conservative leadership in a state where the norm had become never-ending benefits and fiscal irresponsibility. However, it would take at least one more election cycle (another four years) of head-butting with the DFL legislature to hammer our state finances back into something resembling responsible budgeting. 3rd-runs for Governor don't fly well here--look at Governor Goofy's shot at it.
Unfortunately, Pawlenty probably is too nice a guy and too honest to play politics on the national stage.
I think he could win (as some have already indicated here), but I sure hope he doesn't because his concept of governing is fatally insubstantial. Throughout his tenure as Governor of MN I've listened for him to describe his vision for the state. What I heard was that 'we are not yet undertaxed'. The 35W bridge fell as evidence to the contrary, though it was only one indicator of the folly of cost cutting as a strategic, visionary idea. I shudder to think what extending this thin philosophy to the national scale would do to the country. We need leaders who can identify and articulate serious, inspiring goals at a scale beyond what individuals, groups, or corporations can accomplish, and then act to shape and deploy government as an expression of the common will to realize them. Tim has amply demonstrated that he is incapable of this.
Sure. I'd probably vote for him.
An unequivocal NO!! To begin with, this nation is far too liberal for the Guv and his ilk. All voters from coast to coast have to do is look at how he's run Minn. and shudder at the concept of Pawlenty in the White House. All I can say it's a good thing he's [most likely] running so we will be rid of him for good. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out Governor.
Not in 2012. If President Obama has a remotely decent approval rating and hasn't made any major policy blunders he will retain the presidency in 2012. If Pawlenty has presidential aspirations, he needs to build his base, become a mainstay in the media, and plan his run for 2016.
If he chooses to run in 2012, gets the GOP nomination, and loses, his political career is essentially over. Also, if he doesn't get the GOP nomination in 2012 he's probably done, too. It seems that this nation (and media) gives a candidate one shot. If they don't make it they're considered "losers" and not worthy of a second chance.
If Pawlenty really wants to run, and have a chance, he needs to build more political "wisdom" and wait until 2016.
Given our states financial situation and how in 2012 we'll probably have another financial problem that could be construed as related to the 2010 financial problem. I highly doubt it, but wouldn't rule him out for a run in the primary.
I wouldn't vote for him.
I do not think he can win the presidency. In all the years he has been governor, he has not demonstrated one shred of leadership in solving Minnesota's problems. I do not see why that makes anyone think he would be a good president.
This guy is going to nowhere
no, I think he is wishy washy...not impressed with his role as Gov.
Absolutely not! I am glad to see that the majority of people commenting on this are also in agreement that Pawlenty would fail this country as he has already failed the state of MN. If Pawlenty thinks that the unallotment of state funds to balance the budget, effectively leaving a larger deficit and failing the most vulnerable people is going to get him the presidency, more power to him. But guess what Mr. governor... the people are smarter than that after 8 years of monkey faced Bush in office. The nation will see all the B.S. that the governor has pulled recently and see that there is just no way he could effectively run the country.
I think he could be, but shouldn't. He's proven to be one of the worst governors in the history of this state. Look around at our public infrastucture. His "no new taxes" pledge has nearly ruined our highways, transit, and cities. The 35W bridge may have fallen no matter what, but his radical cutting of budgets certainly had an impact in those problems not being found and dealt with. He's opposed nearly everything that would keep Minnesota competitive and on a path to a good future and instead has allowed (and actively participated in) the destruction of so much that has long been great about this state.
He is one of the slipperiest kinds of politicians: everything seems to just roll off his political back while those he governs suffer on his clock. He is not looking out for the public good; he is looking out for the corporate and wealthy bottom line.
Could he be elected? Yes. And when you look around and really *see* what he's done to this state, that should be terrifying to every voter and citizen.
Absolutely not! Tim Pawlenty has shown himself to be a pandering lightweight, whose solution to the state's fiscal problems seems to be to push through a whole host of "user fees" and other non-tax taxes that tend to harm the most vulnerable of us. Next, when he should be in the forefront of dealing with fiscal concerns, he all but ignores former Gov. Arne Carlson's plea for frank discussions to try to deal with the problem. But the ultimate insult was to call Pres. Obama's speech to the nation's students "unwelcome" and making asinine threats of invoking the 10th Amendment to block national health-care! Gov. Pawlenty, please finish the job you were elected to and stop the childish, divisive digs at our duly elected President.
NO, no chance. Could he win a primary, yes. But, he is a really really bad governor. All this will come out if he runs for president. His inability to work with the other side. All the crazy cuts he has done to the cities and county's, his health care reform is dropping people from MNCare. Now his 180 turn around on global climate change. His no new taxes, (just fees). Nope I don't think Timmy has a chance.
To answer the question: Possibly.
But don't confuse that question with whether or not he would govern well (he wouldn't). He is an extremist who cares little for the people at large, and his electability is more of a sad commentary on the awesome power of the Religious Right (which is ANYTHING but religious, in any spiritual sense), and the gullibility of the American voting public. A fellow extremist, such as Mitt, Sarah, or Rush would make fitting running mates.
I think that he can win the nomination but I don't believe he can win in 2012. He has left himself a skeleton in the budget that will haunt him later on. If he runs in 2016 I think he would have a better shot depending on the competition.
I don't see how he has a path to the nomination. But I thought the GOP wouldn't nominate Bush 43 either.
On my website Pawlenty is my favorite target of political animosity. He is slick, sneeky, and manipulative. All the characteristics essential to becoming President. As much as I don't like him and his politics I recognize that he is very intelligent and clever. Did you ever notice that he is one of Fox TVs go to guys? Definately he is a contender for the nomination. Can he beat Obama, maybe, depending on the state of the union during the election. Pawlenty and Obama have something in common, they can put on a good show, both are professional politicians, all though I give Obama the edge on the silver tounged catagory. Regardless of Minnesotans opinion of him he is well recieved by the Republicans on the National level. I personally like Ron Paul but both of us or one of us will be dead before that will happen.
Pawlenty "won" only because the opposition vote was spilt. He didn't get a majority in the last election. Since then he has proved to be uninterested in governing to improve the lives of Minnesotans.
He might win a beauty contest but is up against the brain-dead Palin. He might win a right-wingnut pandering contest but there is a lot of competition in that area too.
Voters unfortunately chose from the gut not the head. This gives him a chance where he should by rights have none at all.
Meanwhile he's making a fool of himself and tarnishing Minnesota's reputation as a state that works governed by pragmatic leadership.
Jesse Ventura might have been out there but he looks like a statesman compared to Timmy.
No. His recent alignments with the fringe of his party will kill his chances. I also think the way he's leaving the state's budget to be the next governor's problem will hurt him.
No, Pawlenty has lost his roots and forgotten what what once made him a good governor. Pandering to the right wing extremists, waffling on most of the positions that matter, and playing 'opposition' politics instead of finding real solutions have already lost him much more than the 2012 nomination.
He's not electable at that level. Nice guy, good administrator, but he doesn't have that annoyingly-necessary charisma to be a presidential candidate. He's more likely to end up as a VP or a behind the scenes kind of guy.
I'm happy to see that the overwhelming majority of commenters here do not appear to like Pawlenty. But at the same time, I'm dismayed by how they also seem to think he cannot be elected president (I'm guessing that's just wishful thinking for many). We can't ignore the fact that someone like W. could be elected twice by this nation of uninformed voters. TWICE! Or that many Obama supporters didn't know much about his positions on issues or his voting record. For many people, all it takes to get their vote is to be someone they want to have a beer with, and Pawlenty is often called "likable" and resembling "the boy next door." So he could win. Logic and reason have very little to do with it. And Republicans are especially good at winning votes based on everything BUT logic and reason.
He's been trying to run for President since the day he became governor. Do I think he could win? Not on your life. The people of this state and the country aren't that stupid.
He's been trying to run for President since the day he became governor. Do I think he could win? Not on your life. The people of this state and the country aren't that stupid.
I don't think so. Look at how one of his only supporters on this page said it: "He was a great Gov, kept spending in check and made this a much better state." Even his supporters use the past-tense when talking about Pawlenty's governorship. Last time I checked he is STILL supposed to be our governor, right? It will be hard for the GOP to deny that he abandoned the State of Minnesota as heartlessly as he did, especially when he fails to win his own state...which I expect he will.
George W. Bush won the presidency twice, so it is hard to underestimate voter intelligence. Do I think he's qualified to run for national office? In a word, NO! I think he is a self-serving lightweight who has been a disaster as governor of Minnesota. I nearly lost my breakfast listening to him pander to the religious right at the "Values Conference."
Absolutely he could win - a two-term Republican governor in a Democratic state who has had consistently good approval ratings and so far as we can tell no major skeletons in his closest, he definitely would have a strong chance. I haven't agreed with him on all things, but he does strike me as an intelligent, diplomatic, and level-headed individual. We could do worse.
And as far as the complaint that he's spending so much time now planning for a presidential run: I would certainly rather him focus first on being governor, but let's not forget this is no different from EVERY other politician who has run for president while already holding another office. Then-Senator Obama spent 2 years of his senate term focused on a president run, as did Senator Clinton and McCain. It may not be in the best interests of the public, but it's certainly not unusual.
I assume that he is running for president. With all his travel about the country is he ignoring the needs of the state?
Given that he has, inexplicably won twice in this state, he could probably win nationally, depending on which way the public is leaning at the time. If the election were held today, maybe. Luckily the democrats have a couple years to reverse that trend.
Could he win, yes, of course. The public elected George W. Bush twice, they could certainly elect someone who has a lot more going for him like Pawlenty. Do I want him to win? NO, emphatically, NO! Please, higher power, NO!
I pray for our countries sake that he does not win. There does not seem to be any doubt that he wants to run. It is too bad that he forgotten that he has a job-governor of Minnesota.
Obama is trying to re-establish the USA as a powerful country, not one who is willing to attack any country that does not agree with us and Pawlenty would undo all the diplomacy that is being re-built.
For his information, democrats vote based on their values, too. God doesn't just sanction republicans.
Tim Pawlenty is a hateful, divisive politician who doesn't seem to really care about the citizens of our state and country.
He isn't qualified since he can't fix the state he's working in AND his educational and professional careers don't lend themselves to being a world leader. Maybe if he would focus on real politics instead of party cheerleading, he could pull it off...I think he's another Sara Palin and that could be as devasting as having Cheney/Bush for another 8 years. I'd vote just to keep him out of office.
I'm not sure how he could win the presidency when his budgetary fix for MN was to take out a loan instead of balancing...I don't think Americans, who are still in the midst of a recession, will react well to that. And what did he say about our coming budget crisis? That the DFL is including inflation in their figures, and they shouldn't...um...why not use real numbers?
I think not and I hope not.
Maybe T-Paw could be the candidate in 2016. 2012 is Mitt Romney's or Huckabee's to lose. Republicans like to "kick the tires" on their candidates which means the candidates have to run in a primary and lose and then run again before they get the nomination. George W Bush was the exception but that's only because he had name recognition and was from a big Southern state.
Absolutely NOT!! He has the convictions of a weathervane. We need a President who will work together with Congress to get things done. The voters will look at T-Paw's dealings with the MN Legislature and say no thanks.
Pawlenty is the hapless captain jumping ship, leaving Minnesota floundering. He is clever. He is heartless. Maybe a job on Wallstreet would fit his disposition. Good riddance! The only respectable republican worth listening to is Arnie Carlson, a man of sincerity and trust.
No, Pawlenty will never be president, thank God.
Republicans run a team with no chance when they do not really want to win. They hit so many iceburgs with GWB at the helm that the GOP seriously wanted to get out for pretending that they were not the source of the problems. That is why they ran team they did in 2008.
I fully expect Team Obama to get the ship back on course, so the GOP will want to again take the helm, but their request will be declined by the American citizens.
He seems to lack both gravitas and stage presence. I don't think would we elect a bureaucrat as a leader.
Well, of course he could.
George W. Bush did, and this man is twice as dangrous. Just wait for the next MN biennial budget.
This man is ideologically driven, believes he has the only correct ideas, and no moral base.
Great.
Absolutely not. While he'll run on the fact that he balanced the budget without increasing taxes, the crippling effects of his unallotment strategy will be too big for even the mainstream media to ignore. He's been a disaster of a governor and he'll be a disaster as a presidential candidate.
No- Mr. Pawlenty is proving himself to be in line with radical right.
NO!!!!
Of course not! He'd actually have to accomplish something that is beneficial for the residents of the state he hails from to have a reputation of merit, luckily for the nation -- he doesn't have that reputation.
In a word, no. The GOP likely anticipates that Obama's popularity will be high as of the next election, and is willing to sacrifice Pawlenty in 2012 in order to develop a better candidate in an open election, in which the Democratic candiate's appeal pales in comparison to that of President Obama. Only then will they have the leverage they desire.
The fact that Pawlenty seems to think he could become President suggests that he has a profoundly unrealistic view of both himself and his performance as Governor. If by some miracle he were able to make it to the general election, I don't think he would be able to carry Minnesota.
Pawlenty has been disaster for MN, a once prosperous state that now sees its future mortaged to the hilt because of Pawlenty's 3-card monte accounting approach to the state budget,pretending to hold the line on taxes while saddling us with enormous deficits and skyrocketing fees and property taxes, throwing the most vulnerable to the wolves. Did we ever really get to the bottom of why that bridge fell down on his watch, under the supervision of his political appointee? Not to my satisfaction. He seems willing to spend the remainder of his term neglecting his duties as governor to pander to the fringe elements of the right-wing in a desperate attempt to make up for the humiliation of having been passed over for Palin as VP nominee. If he runs, I will jjoin other Minnesotans in making sure the nation knows just how disasterous his pig-headedness has been for our state.
Tim Pawlenty's chances of winning the presidency are about the same as failed former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin: The temperature in Hell would have to plummet drasticly!
If Pawlenty wins a national election Minnesota will be seen as having exported failure.
His attitude on working together and his policies (like cutting LGA) have not benefited Minnesotans.
When he leaves the governor's office he should just fade into obscurity.
Yes and I hope he runs and defeats Barry. He was a great Gov, kept spending in check and made this a much better state.
The public realizes Barry is a whacked out left wing nut case and it won't be long before Tim is President Tim.
i sure as heck hope not!
God willin' and the creek don't rise our rotten governor won't have a chance to become our rotten president!
Tim Pawlenty is like a thin slice of factory made, white Wonder Bread compared to a hearty loaf of President Obama's home made, delicious, multi-grain, chock full of healthy vitamins and minerals.
President Obama's bread will feed our nation with the proper nutrients needed to rebuild our economy with better regulation of our finance industry and a move into renewable energy, implement vitally important strategies to address global warming, institute health care for all Americans, and commit real resources to our public education system.
After hearing how he reacted to the comments and suggestions from our wonderful ex-governor Arnie Carlson I now see he cannot learn from others who have been there or learn from others who went before him.
Sounds like "my way or the hwy"
Bush who?
Not right from a presidential position.
Not my choice!!!
You have got to be kidding me - an ineffective governor who panders to the right wing with no independent thought as his state finances flounder, making huge cuts to the poorest and weakest among us, including disabled kids....wait, are we talking about Sarah Palin or Tim Pawlenty? Are these people all the Republicans have to offer us these days? Such a shame - an excellent publicly-subsidized education gone to waste. He has no shame either - collecting his public salary while not doing his job. Should have been fired long ago. At least Sarah Palin quit her day job so she could go market herself - Pawlenty has no scruples. I wish Arnie Carlson or Wendy Anderson wanted the job back - our state needs that kind of leadership again. Pawlenty would not win the primary here among his own paranoid party here in Minnesota. Tim, you are no Hubert Humphrey or Walter Mondale - quit your day job and work for some right wing radio station. where you can do no more harm.
Assuming Palin continues to shoot herself in the foot, and that Pawlenty could win the primaries against the more charismatic Huckabee and the more nationally experienced Romney, he could hope for one of two outcomes: If the current stimulus plan doesn't work quickly, Obama would barely beat him. If the stimulus works and the economy is on the rebound, T-Paw will be looking at a Mondale/Reagan style loss. So in a word, NO.
Too moderate to win nomination. He can try and move to right and hit himself in the head with bibles to get to the base, but it will be Romney all over agian. He is, however, well positioned for a VP bid, in particular if he gets some traction in primaries. On the other hand, I LIKED Pawlently, and would have voted for him if he ran for govenor again (in particular considering Dems control of legislature, and I like and vote for all my Dem reps), but have lost all respect (and feel somewhat betrayed) as he has sold MN down the river for his national aspirations. Be our govenor first.
I thought Americans were too smart to elect Bush to a second term. I was wrong.
Simply inconceivable
I doubt Pawlenty will win, but the real loser will be the state of MN. His decisions as governor seem to be made with an eye to impressing Republican activists rather than considering what would be best for the people of MN.
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