Pawlenty for President!

[question everything]

The man has the charisma of a slug. He is making the rounds now, was McCain second (or third) choice for VP, hosted the RNC - does anyone even remember? and has not cheated on his wife. Yet. Also a "real" Christian (as opposed to Romney).

He thinks that he deserves it. That he's earned it.

So here is our first ad against him, from today's headline in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/52652067.htm

Pawlenty gives cash for clunkers a thumbs-down
But car dealers disagreed with the governor's comments made on his weekly radio show.

"It makes everybody feel good," Pawlenty said, "but because we own GM, we're just paying ourselves back. It seems a little odd." His comments, made shortly after President Obama signed into law a $2 billion infusion into the clunker program, weren't greeted warmly by the spokesman for the state's auto dealers.

"I think the governor's comments are unfortunate and maybe ill-informed," said Scott Lambert, executive director of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association. "This program has clear benefits to it. The only downside is that it's using taxpayer money, but it's stimulus money that's working. It's promoting some of the biggest economic activity the state has seen all summer."

And a spokesman for the 10-dealer Walser Automotive Group pointed out that the state, facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, stands to enjoy a windfall from the sales tax paid on thousands of new cars.

======

I just think how pitiful he will appear in any debate with Obama, where the guv will be crashed.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Timmy the Tool desperately wants to be President.

He spent well over a year living in McCain's pants, hoping he'd be asked to be his running mate -- and he lost out to Sarah Palin. I will admit he's more qualified than Palin; but then, so am I, and so is my cat. But even part from having all the charisma of a dead man, and a bad haircut to boot, he has developed an unfortunate (for him) reputation here in MN as being the guy who hates poor people, children, and people who have to drive over freeway bridges. He recently cut off state medical assistance funds to the most destitute people, and of course he's got that bridge collapse problem, having also vetoed funding for highway maintenance and improvements. Timmy never saw a tax cut he didn't like, as long as it benefits the wealthy. He also never saw a spending cut he didn't like, as long as it hurts everybody else. And he's also politically tone-deaf: Complaining about Cash For Clunkers will piss off a lot of the people he hadn't already pissed off. The fact that he is even considered a possible candidate in 2012 just shows how pathetically shallow the GOP's pool is. But watch out for him anyhow. He's sneaky, and he can assume a facade of likability.

P.S., your link doesn't work.

[Hansel]

3. Yep, that sneaky twerp's facade of likability got him elected twice.

Someone needs to get under his skin and pull that mask off to expose the little weasel for what he is.

[dflprincess]

13. I did love this quote form the executive director of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association

"The only downside is that it's (Cash for Clunkers) using taxpayer money," (I don't hear him telling dealers to refuse the money) as he goes on to say "but it's stimulus money that's working. It's promoting some of the biggest economic activity the state has seen all summer."

And jerk from the Walser group said this:
"Personally, I may question the legislation, but as a retailer I wanted to take advantage of it. ... I disagree with the governor." (At least this guy did point that the State was making some sales tax & license money off the deal.)

I suppose they both vote Republican and just hate taxes - but have no trouble accepting governement payments when it helps them. In the comments section it looks like the wingnuts are out in force.

Here's a link to the story that should work:


http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/52652067.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E77K_0c::D3aDhUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

[question everything]

16. Oh, sorry about the link. I cut it short and missed the l

at the end of the html...

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/52652067.html

[Hansel]

2. Excellent. He couldn't even carry his home state.

The dirty little secret about why he isn't running again for governor is that he couldn't win. I just wish he'd pull a Palin.

I'm not sure it is really about running for president, but I think pictures of the 35W bridge collapse will definitely rival the pictures of McCain hugging Bush that was used in the last election.

He refused to work with the legislature on the last budget and intentionally stalled so long that it became a crisis. The legislature presented a budget he didn't like so he unconstitutionally used a procedure that is supposed to be used when the legislators don't come up with a budget to "allocate" the budget on his own. He made major cuts to health insurance and education. In fact, the budget allocation looked strikingly like what he wanted in the first place. Fricking little dictator makes Bush look like Thomas Jefferson.

He also claims this "no new taxes" mantra while he has continuously advocated for more fees. Property taxes are through the roof because he refuses to have the wealthier MN's pay any additional taxes. It's all regressive taxation.

Go for it Timmy!

[Nyquil Man]

4. If I hear Chris Matthews say "Good 'n' Pawlenty" once more, I'll vomit.

[question everything]

5. Wha? In what connection?

Is he really talking about Pawlenty? Was Pawlenty nice to him during the RNC?

[Nyquil Man]

7. He said a McCain-Pawlenty ticket should be called "Good 'n' Pawlenty."

I'm not going to try to analyze Matthews. He's... out there.

[Strong Atheist]

8. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[alsame]

6. Remember when Palin was introduced at the RNC convention

as Sarah Pawlenty? That must have hurt. :rofl:

[question everything]

17. Was she, really?

that must have been hilarious. I really tried not to follow that convention, especially the non-stop "barracuda with a lipstick" or something.

[alsame]

26. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5IEiToPMQQ


:rofl: :rofl:

[question everything]

29. Thanks. This is great

Wonder who the woman is, the one who introduced her.

I think that she is the one who wanted Steele to step down after too many "gaffes."

[alsame]

32. I don't know who

she is. I didn't watch their convention, I first saw this clip on Countdown and then found it online.

I just find it hilarious that she doesn't even seem to realize her mistake. And the audience just starts clapping and cheering the wrong name. :rofl:

[Occam Bandage]

9. He's one of the GOP's most formidable candidates.

Don't underestimate him. He's always come off well in debates here, and has a solid grasp of policy. He's got tons of evangelical cred, but comes off as a normal guy-next-door who goes to church on the weekends, and not as a holy-rollin' Huckabee. He won two elections in a blue state; in '06 he was the only Republican to win a statewide office. Sure, he ran the state into the ground, but he did manage to avoid raising taxes while doing so.

He's not terribly charismatic, but the GOP isn't going to be able to outcharisma Obama anyway. They need to do two things to win in '12: convince people Obama sucks, and then run a candidate who doesn't beat himself. Pawlenty doesn't have fireworks, but he doesn't really have any weaknesses, either.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. As a MN resident, I have to disagree with you. Pawlenty has HUGE weaknesses.

He's not popular here; people are very aware of how he's totally run the state into a ditch. He won the last election only by the very narrowest margin, and would have lost if it hadn't been for a third-party candidate. The I-35 bridge collapse, his cutting medical aid benefits for the poorest citizens (by means of a bit of procedural sleight of hand that may be unconstitutional), and his dissing of the very popular Cash for Clunkers program will be big fat albatrosses around his neck. Especially the bridge. 13 people are dead because Timmy the Tool cut the DoT budget. This will NOT be forgotten.

[mac56]

12. I'm also a Minnesotan, and I agree.

Timmeh has significant weaknesses. Besides the ones you listed, I'd add how he dragged his feet in resolving the Franken-Coleman situation, blatantly doing the bidding of his GOP overlords. The Freeps up here don't even try to deny that. Timmeh is toast, just like his chump chum Normy.

[dflprincess]

15. Umm I really hate to defend Timmy the Tool but he did nothing to

delay the outcome of the Franken/Coleman race (I'm sure if there had been something he could do to mess it up, he would have). There was nothing he could do about it either way as the law did not allow even a provisional certificate to be issued as long as the race was contested. Once the Supreme Court made it's decision, he did fly back here (because, of course, he wasn't in the state) to sign the certificate.

There are plenty (paw-lently?) of other things he can be attacked on - his family values for instance:

(this was posted 6/17/2007 by woo me with science

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=160&topic_id=26168

Caught a creepy segment on the FM 107 morning show (Ian and Margery--A Balanced Breakfast). Mary Pawlenty has been guest hosting with Ian.

Yesterday Mary Pawlenty told a long anecdote about when she got appendicitis and Tim Pawlenty was an insensitive lout. It was supposed to be a rib-slapping funny commentary about silly husbands but instead came off as creepy and disturbing. It was a long story, starting out when she doubled over in pain at home when appendicitis struck. Everyone laughed as she described how she was curled on the bedroom floor in a fetal position begging to be taken to the emergency room, but that rascal Tim Pawlenty told her to wait until morning to go to the regular clinic instead.

After she kept moaning and begging, and the pain got more and more excruciating, he finally agreed, reluctantly, to take her to the hospital. Despite her protestations, he decided he wanted to take a shower first. Ha ha ha!!! She described lying on the floor afraid she was dying, and begging her children to bang on the shower door to ask their father to call 911. She said he was unmoved (Ha ha ha! Those crazy Republican husbands!) and took a nice, long shower before leisurely driving her to the hospital.

Once at the hospital, he decided he really didn't feel like hanging around in the ER waiting room. While she was moaning in agony and waiting for the doctor, he told her he was leaving and put his car keys into her shoe so that she could drive herself home later! What a card! What a funny husband he is!

Then you should have heard the guffaws as she described being wheeled into surgery, alone and in despair, thinking, "I thought I had a family, but I have NO ONE!" Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!! Then, after the surgery, Tim finally showed up in the post-op room in his suit. However, he immediately asked her if she really needed him to stay, and he left as soon as he could. Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! You know how MEN are!!!! Ha!

The story went on and on like this for about 10 minutes, and everyone was howling at that rascal husband Tim Pawlenty, who has no empathy.

Today (surprise, surprise) they had Tim Pawlenty on to do damage control. The lovebirds traded affectionate barbs, and he told HIS side of the story, which was that he had to leave quickly to take care of the children and make sure they made it to school.

This is the caring governor we need. This is clearly the man who will bring healthcare to Minnesota's children.

I never get tired of that story.

[question everything]

19. What a jerk!

This story should be circulated if, indeed, he is the Republican candidate. As bad as that governor of S. Carolina tells the world that another woman - not his wife and the mother of his four children - is his "soul mate."

[Occam Bandage]

24. This is kinda why bloggers aren't taken that seriously.

No sense of perspective. Nobody outside the blogosphere has ever suggested Pawlenty has any personal culpability in the 35W bridge collapse, and nobody outside the blogosphere has ever suggested that Pawlenty acted inappropriately in the Franken/Coleman case.

Pawlenty signed the certificate within hours of the MN Supreme Court giving him the greenlight. He did not sign it earlier--nor did Franken ever demand he do so--because doing so would have been in violation of MN state law, which requires all electoral challenges to be resolved before a certificate of election is issued.

[question everything]

18. I think that one of the reasons that he won, at least in 2006

is because the DFL had a lousy campaign and probably not a good candidate.

As for the poor - was it Karl Rove who said that "they don't vote?" I suspect that this is true everywhere. And, especially in these dire economic conditions, many voters are just happy that they and theirs are secure.

[Occam Bandage]

23. "...a lousy campaign and probably not a good candidate."

http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2006/11/03/hatch-blows-up/
http://www.startribune.com/politics/11757711.html

For context, part A, note the date stamp on these stories. For context, part B, note that the two main GOP lines of attack in that race were "Hatch is too emotionally unstable for the job" and "Hatch doesn't have as strong a grasp of policy as Pawlenty."

When both members of your ticket decide to completely validate everything your enemies have said about you days before the election, then it's fair to say you had a lousy campaign.

[question everything]

30. And, as we've seen with Clinton and Obama and, begrudigly, Bush

the voters prefer a personable candidate. Not that Pawlenty is so chummy, but I think that Hatch appeared very distance and aloof so it was a matter sticking with the one you know vs. the unknown.

[Occam Bandage]

20. Yes, he's not popular here. That's because we've had to deal with his policies.

The national race will not swing on whether Minnesotans like the results of Pawlenty's policies; it will swing on whether Americans like the results of Obama's policies. As for his "HUGE weaknesses?" We have a bridge collapse that was never seriously linked to Pawlenty (and the only attempt ended up embarrassing Oberstar). We have the typical Republican fuck-you to the poor, which isn't so much a "weakness" as it is a "decades-long policy platform." And we have a Republican trying to convince people a Democratic program doesn't work.

I find it strange you'd think his "dissing cash for clunkers" is an "albatross." Dissing Obama programs is going to be at least 80% of the GOP 2012 platform. They have no ideas of their own; they will live or die by their success at attacking every single thing Obama does on every single possible point. Dissing programs that are popular is doubly necessary, since their game plan relies on convincing the public that they don't like anything Obama's done.

[Deja Q]

27. Agreed, 100%.

I recall an article where he and his MNDoT buddy were all smiles over the budget -- which was, what, weeks before the disaster?

[Hansel]

14. He won two elections with less than 50% of the vote.

Our Independent party is also progressive and always runs a candidate who siphons off votes. Without that Pawlenty had no chance. It makes me piss and moan every time. And we almost lost the senate seat because of this as well.

Minnesota is a state that seriously needs instant runoff. Our Democratic congress and senate won't pass it though because then they would have a more serious challenge from the Independent party. They'd rather have a Republican win than allow a formidable independent progressive party.

[Occam Bandage]

21. He still won 'em. The Independence party is a known quantity,

and has been since Ventura's upset. Even with them mucking about, the state still manages to have a strong Dem lean, and the Dems have still managed to win every noteworthy race since 2004...but Tim Pawlenty's.

Oh, and Pawlenty didn't win because of the Independence party. Pawlenty won because Hatch was a fucking godawful candidate, and because Pawlenty is a solid politician. If the race had been a DFL version of Pawlenty versus a Republican version of Hatch, we'd have won the Governorship by twenty points easily.

[Hansel]

33. It's not a national force like it is in Minnesota.

So I don't think it's going to have the same impact.

I agree on the Hatch assessment.

[Zynx]

28. No.

He left the state with one of the largest structural deficits in the country for the next biennium. What's more is that the documents his own state budget office produced show this as of right now. You can ask him "How in good conscience could you leave Minnesota in that condition?"

[saltpoint]

11. Pawlenty may not have good footing for the primaries. He has to

go up against Romney's money machine, which means unless Pawlenty really gets cooking with the donations he is not going to be as competitive as he might like to be. Romney is rich. That alone isn't enough, but in a field of relatively pathetic to overtly pathetic contenders, it matters a lot.

Pawlenty also lacks Huckabee's charm. Huckabee, with his pastor's creds, can work a crowd with the far Right cultural pushbuttons and dress it all up in folksy homilies. Pawlenty can't match Mittens' money or Huckabee's public relations skills.

For a little while in the 08 cycle I thought Pawlenty would wind up as the GOP veep nom, but McCain appeared to veer away from him and chose what's-her-name up in Alaska -- the wolf murderer.

Fast-forward to a potential presidential debate between Pawlenty and Barack Obama. In the chance that Pawlenty somehow wins the GOP nom, I'm just not seeing him as a far-seeing, reassuring, I-Got-This option for voters. Obama would chop him up like a carrot and feed him to the ducks.

In the unlikely chance that Romney and/or Huckabee decide that Obama is too strong to challenge, Pawlenty's odds go up, but even then just a bit.

[StevieM]

35. Yeah, I think Romney wins NH and Nevada, while Huckabee takes Iowa and South Carolina

Then they split up the smaller states, slightly in Romney's favor. And the Romney knocks Huckabee out on Super Tuesday.

I don't see Romney picking Huckabee as his running-mate either. I could see him picking Pawlenty, or more likely Bobby Jindall.

Steve

[krispos42]

22. He's been polishing is national Repub credentials

My supervisor at work is complaining about property taxes, so I immediately go "NO NO NO!!! Pawlenty vetoed all the tax increases! Republicans don't RAISE taxes, they LOWER them! Obviously, S., you're suffering from some kind of delusion!"

"But they raised my property taxes!"

"So then how are Pawlenty's tax cuts working out for you?"

"It's the Democrats that-"

"Uht! How are Pawlenty's tax cuts working out for you???"

"But is the Democrats-"

"UHT! So Pawlenty really just passed the revenue needs on to the counties, right?"

"I guess..."

"And counties raise most of their revenue with property taxes, right?"

"Yeah..."

"SO THEN, how are Pawlenty's tax cuts working for you?"



<crickets>

[pinb1212]

25. Not to be condescending...but

Minnesota has elected some "out of the mainstream" politicians over the years......
Do I need to name names?

[question everything]

31. You mean, Jesse V?

I don't know how many others. Of course, Minnesota had Eugene McCarthy who started the peace revolt against LBJ, and Paul Wellstone - one of the few to vote against the Iraq resolution.

But I think that otherwise they are mainstream.

[Union Yes]

34. Tim "No NEW Tax while my I-35 bridge falls" Pawlenty?

[Arkana]

36. Cash for Clunkers is actually working--GOPers piss on it at their own risk.