You Heard It Here First

John McCormack on exactly how dark the Pawlenty horse is at The Weekly Standard…:

Because Pawlenty has been less coy than other likely presidential contenders about whether he’ll run, he’s generated less interest while the press is concentrating on who’s in and who’s out. And because he sparked little enthusiasm when John McCain considered him as a vice presidential nominee in 2008, he’s perceived by some as unlikely to be a finalist this time. But as he steps out into the national spotlight, Pawlenty hopes his record will attract notice. He may, in fact, be the most underestimated Republican presidential candidate​—​one who could appeal to the Tea Party and the Republican establishment.

As I wrote about Pawlenty just before he left office (it seems like it was just last week), Tim Pawlenty gets short shrift from many orthodox conservatives – at least, those who don’t believe that perfect is the enemy of just plain good enough.  Pawlenty wasn’t the perfect conservative.  But let me put this to you;  would you prefer a President who might be mushy on C-list issues like ethanol subsidies, or non-issues for governors like AGW, but who is as genuine and realistic a tax and spending hawk as there is on the national stage who can still get elected – or four more years of Obama?

Of course there are other choices – at the moment.  More on that later.

Just saying – the GOP could do, and has done, much worse.

4 thoughts on “You Heard It Here First

  1. Mitch: what do you think of Indiana’s Mitch Daniels, other than you share the same first name?

  2. I think Pawlenty was fairly good as Governor. Head and shoulders above anybody he faced and we were lucky it was him and not Norm Coleman who decided to run for Gov instead of Senator.

    That said I don’t think ethanol subsidies or renewable energy mandates are C list issues. It’s not Romney Care but it is still a big deal.

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