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BREAKING: Pawlenty to drop out of race.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  August 14th, 2011 at 09:56 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

It’s being reported that Governor Tim Pawlenty will drop his Presidential bid, in light of his third-place showing at yesterday’s Ames Straw Poll.  There’s no official confirmation yet, but that’s just a formality.  I’m on the way out the door to catch a flight home from the RedState Gathering, so my brief take on this: with Pawlenty leaving we’re back down to three real candidates for the Republican nomination again (Bachmann, Perry, & Romney).  All three benefit in the short term, obviously; in the long term this probably helps Romney most .

Unless the Bachmann campaign implodes, of course.  Bachmann’s probably going to end up wishing that she was competing with Pawlenty for attention instead of Perry.  And that confrontation won’t be helped by the fact that Pawlenty’s people are probably even now calling up Perry’s to find alternate employment (which they will get)…

Moe Lane

 

*On a personal note: speaking as a mild Pawlenty supporter Gov. Perry is probably going to be my replacement choice: he’s got a record of accomplishments, and they’re accomplishments that don’t make me wince.  But the plural of anecdote is not data, so take that as you will.

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  • izoneguy

    Rick Perry – not the straw poll.

    Rick needs to court all of the dropouts and get them on his team.
    They are still valuable players.

  • BigRedConservative

    Half to Perry, half to Romney? Will Bachmann steal some of either one? Does Huntsman benefit at all? Questions…

  • earlgrey

    I have been trying to ignore the slow traction of his campaign and hope in the end he would catch on.

    I think he had a much better chance in the general than Bachmann (or Ron Paul for that matter — who are all these Ron Paul supproters??).

    He also had a better chance against Romney due to the health care thing.

  • dkons21

    Pawlenty never had the charisma to develop the enthusiasm necessary for the top office in this day and age. Nor do many of the other candidates. My top three prior to Perry were Cain, Pawlenty, and Gingrich. All of them have pretty much been a non-factor though.

    I can’t stand the though of Romney getting in due to his record as governor, nor can I get behind Bachman due to what the media will do to her if she were to win the primary.

    We need someone with solid executive experience, a record they can proudly run on, and someone who has experience with both economic and security issues. Hello Texas border, and Texas’ economy.

    I’m sure the mainstream media is going to do everything in their power to bring down Perry because of his faith and socially conservative principles, hopefully his list of achievements and the ability to generate ample enthusiasm will be able to negate that issue.

  • dkons21

    Is it possible to edit a post after it has been submitted? Already see one typo I missed :-(

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    I don’t see any one remaining candidate being better than any other. Certainly, there are those that don’t belong, but of the ones that do I don’t have a preference.

    I think Pawlenty would make an excellent VP choice for Perry, but not for Romney. Romney would need someone to excite the base, while Perry already does that.

  • Xasteius

    nt

  • APA Guy

    I like Pawlenty, but let’s face it: He was no match for the Obama machine, and his lack of charisma would have taken its toll once this race became about him and Obama.

    Perry, on the other hand, has the ability to raise a boatload of money and has the record in an enormous state to stuff Obama’s big-spending liberalism where the sun doesn’t shine. And he’s not a D.C insider, which is what will ultimately do Bachmann in.

    This race will come down to Romney and Perry…and given Romney’s health care issue weakness, I don’t see anyone but Perry emerging.

  • patrickdalroy

    courtesy of one Brian Bakst. Get a load of this:

    “The low-key Midwesterner and two-term governor had struggled to gain traction in a state he had said he must win and never caught fire nationally with a Republican electorate seemingly craving a charismatic, nonestablishment, rabble-rouser to go up against President Barack Obama.”

    http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/ex-minn-gov-tim-1107797.html

  • http://alpipkin.com/blog/ Alpip

    There isn’t really anyone (maybe Huntsman, but I repeat myself) for Pawlenty’s supporters to gravitate towards. Romney is so slick that he isn’t the natural choice, and besides, if it were Romney, most would have already switched after Pawlenty’s poor showing at both debates..

    I suspect most of Pawlenty’s followers are going to be on the sidelines for a while to see how things shake out.

  • neomom

    Than Bachmann or Paul. Neither one of them will win over the squishy middle. Especially on foreign policy. Bachmann simply doesn’t have the experience and Crazy Uncle Ron loses everyone with his isolationism and anti-Israel act.

    We have a local Paulbot group whose blog I follow. They are a ragtag crew of every conspiracy theory out there with a few saner people thrown in. They have a large contingent of 9/11 truthers but will also continuously spout off about the police state caused by the Patriot Act (which they oddly find to be a more aggregious affront to personal liberty than ObamaCare), and believe that ending all foreign engagements and support will actually balance the budget (not that I don’t agree with some of their points on this one). I also hear about FEMA camps and the Bilderburg group. Don’t even try discussing anything with them, they will swarm and flood out anyone who disagrees with the doctrine as quickly as any leftist organization.

    They are extremely enthusiastic and they are well organized. I am surprised that they didn’t win the Iowa straw poll. But the support dies quickly at the edges of the group.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Except the Huntsman part. I couldn’t see myself ever supporting him. The sidelines is just fine for me for now.

  • GopTiger

    Its a two person race: Perry v. Romney.

    Like most of you, its no contest: Rick Perry.

    I guess an argument could be made that its a 2.5 person race, with the .5 being Bachman. But much of the rationale forf her candidacy has now disappeared due to Perry’s entry. They are both Tea-Party supporting, principled conservative. Of course, the big difference is he has executive experience in spades, which shouldl prove decisive.

    I frankly can’t wait for a Perry-Obama debate.

    I look forward to hearing Perry say:

    “The difference between you and me, Mr. President, is that I’m actually running on my record: you’re running away from your’s. Of course, if I had your record, I’d be running away from it too”. Or words to that effect.

    The testosterone gap on the 2012 presidential debate stage will be palpable.

  • Jeff Weimer

    I was leaning Pawlenty early, like last November, but I’m now leaning towards Perry, and have been since it seemed both Pawlenty was losing traction and Perry began hinting he might throw his hat in.

    And no, I’m not particularly pleased with his immigration record, but you can’t have everything. I think that’s a policy disagreement that can we worked through at least reasonably satisfactorily.

  • APA Guy

    Especially these:

    “Of course, the big difference is he has executive experience in spades, which shouldl prove decisive.”

    and:

    “?The difference between you and me, Mr. President, is that I?m actually running on my record: you?re running away from your?s. Of course, if I had your record, I?d be running away from it too?

    Some here may have forgotten, but Reagan spoke of his large-scale executive experience frequently (CA) while never letting the voting electorate forget how his record of leadership compared to his opponents’ in 1980 and 1984. Perry has the same opportunity if he keeps the right people on his campaign and forever keeps bringing the narrative back to job performance. Obama simply cannot run on his record and win.

  • gekster

    ?The difference between you and me, Mr. President, is that I?m actually running on my record: you?re running away from your?s. Of course, if I had your record, I?d be running away from it too?.

    Send it to Perry, he can use it.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    that Perry can say,

    We both succeeded George W Bush. In Texas, under my watch, the number of jobs increased in Texas. Under your watch, the number of jobs continues to decline in America.

  • http://libtarded.wordpress.com rhye

    The top three straw poll results were:
    Bachmann: 28.55%,
    Ron Paul: 27.65%,
    Pawlenty: 13.57%.

    Paul’s supporters are (as we all know) few in number but extremely dedicated (and good at rigging polls); his genuine support is single-digit if that. Worst case, Pawlenty is in second place; and the Ames Straw Poll is not very reliable as a predictor of the ultimate nominee anyway. But I admit that I haven’t been paying much attention to the Pawlenty campaign – which, now that I think of it, might be symptomatic – and it looks like this was just the last straw in a struggling campaign.

    It really makes one think about how important the mainstream media are to a campaign, even to those of us who see them for the lying wastes of space they are. Bachmann and Perry have gotten a lot of publicity and enthusiastic conservative support, thanks, in part, to the MSM’s obsession with smearing outspoken, conservative Christians. Meanwhile, more low-key, traditional politicians like Romney and Pawlenty don’t get attacked by the MSM, don’t get their names in the news, and end up ignored.

    Now that I think about it…. thanks, MSM! Keep up the good work!

  • bk

    And he’s not afraid to sling mud nor to call out Obama for being a liar.

    Maybe I’m biased as a Texan, but Perry brings a lot to the table even though he’s not perfect. (Who is?)

    He appears to be much more energetic and younger than he really is. Looking at him and listening to him, would you believe he’s 10+ years older than Obama? He will make Obama seem like the old tired fuddy-duddy when they are on camera together.

    People who think Bachmann is too strident or lacks experience can support Perry.

    People who think Pawlenty lacks charisma can support Perry.

    Perry will raise a boatload of money.

    I don’t think it will take long before we come down to Romney vs Perry. I suspect Perry will take a different approach toward Romneycare than others have. I hope he’ll say he doesn’t have a problem with it as a states’ rights issue, so he doesn’t hold it against Romney – at least not as much as others do. I’m hoping Romney and Perry will get into a “here’s why my ideas are better than his” primary than a “here’s why he sucks” campaign, saving the latter for the general.

  • Whacker77

    I’ve been more than a bit indifferent on the Republican field. While others were choosing sides, I looked at the crop and thought, “Is that all there is?” In many respects, I still feel that way.

    The field of candidates, in my view, has never measured up to the opportunities that exist. Let’s be serious. Tim Pawlenty was never going to be a factor. He was just too bland. He didn’t need to be a flamethrower, but he needed to be a lot more than he was.

    One of the reasons I never thought TPaw would catch on is the fact he was never all that conservative as a governor. In 2008, most saw him as a John McCain Republican. Realizing that wouldn’t work in 2010, he tired to become Mr. Tea Party. It just didn’t fit him.

    Merely by process of elimination, I going with Perry. I’m not in love with him, but he can win me over. Still, it boggles my mind so many of the true top names (Jeb, Christie, Rubio) said no. They have to be kicking themseleves at this point.

  • GopTiger

    You raise a great point about Perry’s energy and willingness to tussle with Obama.

    How will Obama react when he faces an opponent who has a sense of humor, a sense of grace, but who also knows how to wield the shiv in political combat, an opponent who appears to actually relish the fight ahead?

    I think we are all about to find out.

    King Barack is in for a real surprise.

  • barleycorn

    are the reasons Pawlenty is dropping out. The Iowa straw poll nonsense was just the kick of sand in the face, the final straw, etc.

  • tea4me

    And I read this site every day. Right now Bachmann is my first choice in the Primary and Perry might be my 2nd. I don’t know enough about him to make an educated choice yet.

    But I find it extremely unfortunate that Perry and Redstate decided to announce his candidacy during the Ames straw poll. It was a cheap shot. And I suspect this hurt Perry among tea party conservatives. It made him appear impudent to a huge and growing base of the GOP.

    This was Bachmann’s day. And he unnecessarily tried to rain on it.

    Will it hurt him in the long run? I don’t know. I suspect it will. It now creates a strong bias towards Bachmann in my mind that will be hard for Perry to overcome.

    Just being honest about it.

  • clintonformccain

    …. is a Huntsman?

  • APA Guy

    If by “rabble-rouser” they mean “group of Americans tired of financing debt by selling t-bills to the Chinese and printing money at such a rate so as devalue it greatly”, then engrave the words “proud rabble member” into my tombstone.

  • clintonformccain

    “This was Bachmann?s day. And he unnecessarily tried to rain on it.”

    ————-

    That’s the whole idea. When you are running for President, you are supposed to wake up every morning trying to rain on your opponent’s day! :)

  • APA Guy

    Last I checked, they would both be fighting for the same nomination. We owe one candidate NOTHING until a winner emerges from the primary to knock Obama’s block off. It was up to Perry to announce when he saw fit, not Pawlenty’s campaign. Nothing cheap about it…in fact, at this point it seems to have been a very astute move on Perry’s part since he is now viewed as the emerging front-runner and Pawlenty dropped out.

  • bk

     

  • bk

    re: “It was Bachmann’s day”

    This wasn’t known until much later in the day. Had Ron Paul won the straw poll, would a Bachmann fan care as much about Perry’s timing?

  • gekster

    When Perry announced, know one knew who was going to win.
    No one thought Bachmann was going to win, and from some of the comments here, it was impossible for her to win.
    The Perry anouncement was planned weeks in advance, so the questions
    seams to be, how did Perry know he would rain on Backmanns’ parade.
    Just how did he know that it would be her who would win.
    The straw poll is just a barometer to how people in Iowa, and bussed in Ron Paul supporters feel about the present candidates.
    Perry did get write in votes, and if it was a secret that he was going to announce on Saturday, it was a very poorly kept one.
    You are seeing things that are not there.

  • clintonformccain

    I’m kind of a neutral observer of the primary jostling to this point. I would vote for Charles Manson if he were the Republican nominee against Barry Obama, so I’ve just been sitting back hoping the process would result in viable candidate.

    I don’t know Rick Perry from Adam, but I watched his speech last night and was very impressed with his apparent political skills. He has a bit of that Reagan-esque “aw shucks” about him that would play well in going after Obama’s knees with a lead pipe, but doing it with a smile.

    I hope that the Republican primary gauntlet understands that every time they force their candidates off the economic message, they play into Obama’s hands in the general election, regardless of the nominee. IMO, this is not the year for social conservative theme.

  • GopTiger

    I was wondering the opposite: why were the folks in Iowa trying to rain on Perry and Redstate’s parade…

    With all due respect, how was Perry supposed to know several weeks ago when he made this decision that Michelle Bachman was going to win the Straw Poll? Ron Paul and T-Paw were pulling out all the stops and many were predicting one of them, not Bachman, was going to win.

    That said, I love Bachman. Of Moe’s Big 3, she is my second choice.

  • republitarian

    … so the timing makes good strategic sense. I like Bachmann but it’s not as if Perry jumped onstage and snatched the microphone from her, so I think your outrage is a little over-reactive.

    My reaction was: “Oh, we have another choice now. Cool!”

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Or gal, in this case.

  • republitarian

    n/t

  • http://www.rightreality.wordpress.com andysmith

    to put this, but Ron Paul is crazy, and his supporters are even more nuts than he is.
    Go to any Facebook page of any of the other GOP candidates, and they constantly flood them with crazy conspiracy theories, petulant namecalling, and talking points without a lot of substance. If you follow Herman Cain on Facebook, for example, they constantly shout mindless things about Cain being a Federal Reserve stooge, and have even less kind things to say about some of the others. And I can’t say I would be surprised if they log in with multiple accounts to make their support seem bigger than it actually is.
    His travelling tailgaters make me laugh; the man always seems to have the same loud people at every campaign stop or debate he’s at. In short, Paul’s campaign is based largely on phantom support, as he’s pulling an Obama/ACORN/union thug trick by paying them to go from campaign stop to campaign stop.
    What cracks me up the most is that Paul’s been in Congress for 20 years, and he and his supporters claim to be anti-establishment/anti-government. 20 years of drawing a government paycheck, going on three failed presidential campaigns, and a Congressional record that shows him loading up pork for his district (only to vote against it so he can say he’s against spending) and no leadership makes me wonder why the heck ANY tea party types would support him.
    Even through all of this, the mainstream media will push him as far as he can go to drive any rifts in the GOP. He’ll be labeled as the “practical” one, while the true conservatives are fighting it out. If Paul is able to obtain any real financing, I’d be interested to see if it’s coming from moveon.org or any other liberal groups so he can do as much damage as possible.

  • Jill1066

    Tim Pawlenty would have made a strong general election candidate, in my opinion. He wasn’t flashy, but he had a dogged determination and stated his case effectively. That would have made a nice contrast to the charismatic but deceitful and deeply misguided Rookie-in-Chief.

    I think Pawlenty lost out because he played too safe in that NH debate against Mitt Romney and then failed to effectively rebut Michelle Bachmann’s clever but misleading accusations against him. He can’t fairly be attacked as a squish because he walked into Iowa and told them the ethanol subsidies were wrong. He didn’t pander. Unfortunately, these contests become more about charisma, popularity, and money. He needed a boost from Ames and Michelle Bachmann’s candidacy ultimately killed his plans. The points he made about her lack of executive experience or legislative accomplishments are probably going to sink her campaign eventually. Fortunately, I think the straw poll outcome demonstrates that Iowa only matters if you’re a little-known but electable candidate that needs to break in. It’s now irrelevant and likely to become more so for anyone with money and/or name recognition.

    Count me as a Pawlenty-supporter who expects to be on the fence for many months to come. I’m not thrilled by Romney, and Perry has to demonstrate his value on the national stage before I’ll consider him.

  • qsclues

    …that Pawlenty would run for Senate against Amy “I’m moderate because I voted differently from Franken once” Klobuchar? That would certainly provide another pickup opportunity.

  • Sam Gamgee

    It’ not premature, it’s just the mature thing to do.

    I was leaning towards Pawlenty until now. I still think he would make the best President out of all the candidates, but politically, it just wasn’t in the cards. The Ames straw poll was his last big chance to break out of the pack. His supposed advantage in Iowa was his organization, but he wasn’t able to beat Bachman. If he had, then his campaign would have gotten a needed lift, and maybe people would have started giving him a second look. But at this point, he’s doing the right thing by gracefully bowing out, and letting his supporters decide who they should support now.

  • clintonformccain

    in a long line of non-descript candidates, in both parties, who give it a go and never get the car out of the driveway. Pawlenty’s problem wasn’t the media. He actually got more attention than he probably deserved, just because he was one of the few “mainstream” type candidates in the early field. His problem wasn’t the media. Like most candidates stuck in neutral, his problem was the money-men (or lack thereof).

  • concap

    …….

  • http://www.redstate.com/thesophist TheSophist

    If Bachmann can’t deal with a little Texas rain, she’s got no chance against the Obama machine. Let’s see how things play out over the next few months.

  • averagevoterdotcom

    I called this awhile ago, I must say.
    The testosterone (lack of) issue killed him.
    Then he sealed his fate by attacking a woman, when he declined to attack a man (Romney).

    Out soon -

    Cain
    Huntsman
    Santorum
    Newt

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    …at the suggestion that this demonstrates the power of this armed and fully operational battle station. :)

  • ru4fred

    Would be unbeatable. Perry could also chose Portman,Toomey, Daniels, Pawlenty, or Christie.

  • aesthete

    nt

  • phoenix0401

    Those are three of the four who really, really tried for this thing. (Santorum is the 4th.) That Pawlenty — with maximum effort — came in at about half of the other two was telling. He’d lost to Bachmann, was likely never going to overtake her, and thus everything else was academic.

    The worse news for him was that Rick Perry got over 700 write-in votes, which was about 1/3 of Pawlenty’s total with no effort whatsoever. The straw poll proved that Pawlenty was a candidate without a constituency (as are Santorum, Cain, and Gingrich), and he did the right thing by acknowledging the obvious.

    I agree its a two person race, though Bachmann is interesting. if the stars align completely perfectly, she can win this thing (She’ll need all of Palin’s supporters to do it, which she could get.) More likely, she’s a spoiler. With her in Iowa, it’s going to be very difficult on Perry. She probably pulls enough support to win outright or throw the election to Romney. Then Romney wins New Hampshire. Thus, Perry is 0-2 on the first two with Super Tuesday looming. Say hello to Presidential Candidate Romney.

  • phoenix0401

    This move was hardball by Perry without doing anything actively negative towards any of the other candidates. This is nothing compared to what Obama’s forces are preparing for the eventual nominee. The nominee better be real ready for dirty politics, whoever it is.

  • phoenix0401

    As an attempt to get some of the Ron Paul zealots on board his campaign. And, unlike his father, Rand has appeared sane and statesmanlike throughout the last couple months.

    Don’t like the Daniels idea. He adds nothing and if Perry can’t win Indiana without Daniels he’s dead anyway.

  • bobojake

    Sidney is the Home of Cabelas.

  • neomom

    to listen to the mental gymnastics of the Paulbots explaining how Ron Paul’s pork is somehow exactly what Congressmen are supposed to do.

  • JSobieski

    For example, few are as well versed in budgetary issues as Daniels. He also has the most successful health care reform at the state level.

    I agree that Daniels adds nothing from a win the election standpoint, but from a governing standpoint he adds a lot. Of course, his wife is going to veto any Daniels as VP run anyway.

  • rightwingmom52

    I’m a fan of Bachmann’s, but it was pretty exciting to be here for Perry’s speech. And I heard no official endorsement of Pretty by anyone.

  • neomom

    “Bachmann Day” on the calendar.

    She is in my top three, but

    1) the world does not revolve around Iowa
    2) the straw poll is not an indicator of who will win
    3) her win was not a foregone conclusion
    4) if her supporters can’t handle – you know – a primary battle with stepped on toes and stupid questions then…

  • spainishirish

    If there ever were a media-created myth, it was the Huntsman candidacy. He was supposed to fight the good fight and then let Obama win. A McCain redux, so to speak. But something funny happened as this race unfolded. Republicans are serious and want a winner. God knows this goes against the media narrative, but it is the reality…thankfully.

  • acat

    Perry has all the fiscal cred Pawlenty had, only in a much larger State. Sure, he’s more confrontational than Pawlenty, and I liked the idea of a polite candidate, as contrast to Obama’s inevitable dirt machine, but .. I can live with in-your-face.

    I still think Pawlenty would make a better POTUS, but .. the blandwagon never really got going, and to become POTUS one must first be a successful candidate.

    I really don’t see Huntsman appealing to anyone who was attracted to Pawlenty over his record.

    Mew

  • onemovoter

    When asked about his age during the 1984 election against a younger opponent…

    “I promise not to take advantage of my opponents youth and inexperience.”

    I could still see Perry using that line with Obama even after 4 years of Obama as POTUS.

  • acat

    After all, Ron Paul made it quite clear he was going all-in to win Ames, using that result to “prove” he’s not fringe.

    Alas, the best he could afford was second place.

    Mew

  • clintonformccain

    non-political reasons to pick a VP.

  • 6eorge Jetson

    as it was for Perry, who is just now entering. In terms of strategy, TPaw should have waited until now to get in. He would, after all, still be in the race and thus still have a non-zero chance.

    It’s like a cycling race in a velodrome where the two contestants stop and dare each other to go first (w/ the advantage going to the a close follower that takes advantage of the aerodynamic wake of the frontrunner).

  • JSobieski

    People like Daniels and Ryan have spent years living and breathing the challenges that are medicare and social security.

    Don’t think that could come in handy?

    Or if you want to put it in exclusively poltical terms, with a Daniels or Ryan on the ticket, the R-VP candidate would clearly be the most knowledgeable of the 4 individuals on the issues of medicare and social security.

  • clintonformccain

    That kind of experience could come in handy for a governor or a Congress-critter or even a Presidential advisor, but not for a Vice President. The sole function of a vice president is to improve the odds of an election win.

  • JSobieski

    There has been a growing trend of VPs doing more than waiting to attend funerals. Biden breaks that trend a bit, but he doesn’t reverse it.

    The Rs are going to be tarred and feathered on entitlement reform. If we don’t have a candidate who lives and breathes the stuff, we are going to be in trouble.

    I am a big fan of good policy being good politics, but I can see why someone with both Clinton and McCain in the name might feel differently.

    The campaign is going to hinge on entitlement reform, aka pushing granny off the cliff. We need someone on the ticket who can help push back against the meme. It is critical to winning the election, and to reforming entitlements afterwards.

  • scrapiron

    As we say in the deep south “glad to be chid of ‘em”
    T’Paw is a loser, He was my Governor for some years I was in Minnesota. I spent 20 years there. He is a nice guy and the O machine would have ate his lunch in the general. He reminded me of another loser, McCain, can’t wait to vote against him in a primary in about 5 years. he a good war hero, but he is not a winner, he’s a RINO.

  • scrapiron

    T’Paw was always a noodle spine.

  • Tbone

    from the race as well, seeing as how he and I both had the same chance of winning the nomination.

    It will be Perry is a walk over. In fact, any person supporting Romney is only demonstrating that they dumb enough to actually vote for McCain again.

  • tea4me

    It’s got everything to do with how the voters deal with it.

    And in this case, I know of at least one voter who feels like Perry just jumped the line at the fair. Most people get a bit put off by line jumpers.

  • APA Guy

    Whether his JAR is in the 30s or 40s, Obama’s campaign will be extremely well-organized,well- funded, and ready to attack the moment the nominee comes clear.

    Frankly, I’m not at all convinced that Pawlenty was ready for that…or that any of the other candidates in the field are other than Newt and Perry. Newt is all but out of the race, but Perry is gaining steam and has the muscle and money to push back against Obama…HARD.

  • tea4me

    That was a response to sophist

  • onemovoter

    Of Fred Thompson and his short run back in 2008. I could see him as a viable VP pick to a Perry candidacy. Any feedback on Fred being VP?

  • http://www.rightreality.wordpress.com andysmith

    from several of the Paulbots that his district is entitled to their money.
    We need Paul out of the race ASAP. He’s capable of doing a ton of damage to the remaining contenders in the race, and can drum up support among the people not paying total attention but just want Obama out of office.
    Much like the strategy of some of Bush’s supporters back in 2004 to get Nader on the ticket, I’m also beginning to wonder if Paul falls short if we’ll see an effort by Obama supporters to get Paul on the ticket to syphon away votes from the eventual GOP nominee.

  • clintonformccain

    Perry will need to show that he can hit big-leauge pitching over the next month or two. If he can do that and if he doesn’t self-implode like Fred Thompson, I think this thing will be over pretty quckly.

    Let’s put it this way. For anyone to beat him, they are going to have to seriously step up their game.

    I was pretty impressed with his performance yesterday.

  • redtillimdead

    I am very conflicted. I was with T-Paw because he had a great record that he was proud to run on. He was proud of his country and he was optimistic. He excited me. I also think he was the most electable. I am leaning towards Perry, as he is most like Pawlenty in having a great record and running on it, and having pride and optimism. However, I can’t see Perry doing too good in PA. I do think Pawlenty would make an excellent VP for him though. Southern in your face Perry and Midwestern nice guy Pawlenty. They also happen to be two of the best Governor’s in America.

  • redtillimdead

    This Pawlenty supporter says HELL NO! I’m with Roemer before I’m with Huntsman

  • Tbone

    nt

  • lineholder

    But given the fact that he turns 70 next year, I don’t think he’d consider a VP position.