Tim Pawlenty, Possible McCain Running Mate, Says GOP Needs Obama's Positive Message

ARLINGTON, Va. — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, often mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, said Wednesday GOP candidates would do well to adopt a positive tone like that of McCain's Democratic rival, Barack Obama.

"Say what you will about Barack Obama," the Minnesota Republican told a conservative group, "people gravitate when you have something positive to say." He added that McCain has been positive as well.

"People want to follow hopeful, optimistic, civil, decent leaders," Pawlenty said in a speech to GOPAC, which helps recruit Republican candidates. "They don't want to follow some negative, scornful person."

Ronald Reagan still offers important lessons for today's Republican Party, Pawlenty said, because the former president was civil, optimistic, pragmatic and a good communicator.

"He actually had some ideas," Pawlenty said, adding that the Republican idea factory has seemed "a little stagnant in recent years."

Pawlenty, 47, said he came of age during President Reagan's tenure in the 1980s, but acknowledged the Republican icon is ancient history to young people.

"If you're under 40, that was a long time ago, man," he said to laughter.

The party needs to update its message to appeal to voters who want new ideas and government results and to counter the perception that Republicans are "not for the working person," Pawlenty said. He advocated policies like better training and performance pay for teachers, online college education opportunities and reworking health insurance to reward providers that show good results and save money.

Pawlenty shied away from talking about joining McCain on the ticket.

Comments

[truelie]

If McCain won't pick Pawlenty, Barack should give it a shot. Hagel is still my preference though.

[soot]

The McCain campaign is going to take the "try every shoe until one fits" approach to campaigning, and they're going to make the same mistake that Hillary did. When John has found his "voice" too late in the game, Barack will have been running the same campaign he has from day one. Voters will pick the genuine platform over the chameleon.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Great honest point.

[luvobama]

Question:

Given that there are many tr@lls posting some pretty scary things about O, here is my question.

What do you like about your guy? This is not about the other guy. Just your guy.

I'll go first. O speaks my language. I have 2 sons young enough for the draft and I have 2 daughters whose reproductive rights I want protected. I want our reputation in the world to be as it once was and I want to welcome a new day and age. Our world is getting smaller by the minute and O is the one who is ready to deal with now. Not the olden days.

[gladys46]

O also speaks my language and does not think, as I that ignorance should be glorified; O has raised the consciousness of the American people to get involved in their government; O has very visible integrity and is a loving husband & father; O is very well-rounded and has worked hard to hone his mind in many fields, including economics, international affairs and he understands co-existance!

O is one of the most intellectual American presidental hopefuls ever!!

[genseric13]

"speaks my language" Sounds like code words...

[chitown8]

I can relate to his circumstances. I grew up with a single mother yet mine was addicted to drugs. I paved my own way I did have daddy there to make opportunities for me. That is why I relate to Obama. Also I have young children 9 and 5 and I want their freedoms protected and rights. I want my children to enjoy life without struggle since middle class is disappearing I don't want them to grow up hungry and homeless. I am unemployed right now. Since I worked in retail( accounting side) sale were bad causing Whitehall Jewelers to close for good. If it wasn't for this bad econmy folks might just be doing better. Also I have to faith in Repubs any more. I voted for Bush because of his stance on the Texas case hate crime. Yet Mccain scares me to death I am just so scared of being broke and busted. I am currently going to MBA classes on Line at Keller. My MBA might be my only hope.

[luvobama]

thank you.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

The truth is tr0lls hate McBush but just hate 0bama more. In poll after poll 20% or less of people who say they will vote for McBush are excited about voting for him. While 40-50% of 0bama's voters are excited or enthusiastic about voting for him.

In one poll only 17% of McBush voters were excited and 43% said they were voting for McBush as the lesser of two evils. 0bama's numbers were 44% and 22%, respectively in that poll.

So McBush's new slogan has been "Evil You Can Believe In" and that's why he has gone so negative.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

The truth is tr0lls hate McBush but just hate 0bama more. In poll after poll 20% or less of people who say they will vote for McBush are excited about voting for him. While 40-50% of 0bama's voters are excited or enthusiastic about voting for him.

In one poll only 17% of McBush voters were excited and 43% said they were voting for McBush as the lesser of two e vils. 0bama's numbers were 44% and 22%, respectively in that poll.

So McBush's new slogan has been "E vil You Can Believe In" and that's why he has gone so negative.

[luvobama]

Thank you.

[evolution1223]

O has taken a stand that no one since the Civil Rights Movement has dared to take: to seek to change the status quo through sheer will and determination. It is a dangerous undertaking, and O has met the challenge with courage, sincerity, humor and humility.

O is intelligent and brings some integrity to the table. He has the ability to repair and renew America's standing in the world and, at the same time, focus on the severe damage that has been done to the citizens of this nation. He stands with one foot in each of two worlds: black and white, and as such, could be the catalyst for some genuine change towards healing this land of racism.

I admit that he may be untested in many ways, but what person has been tried by the fire until they actually go through the fire?

[luvobama]

Thank you

[nellie]

Notice you didn't get one response to your question: What do you like about your guy? They got nuthin'. Nuthin' to like. Nuthin' to say.

[luvobama]

That was my point. Mother Theresa once said that she would never go to an anti war rally, but she would definitely go to a pro peace rally. I like that attitude. Nothing is accomplished with all the negativity. I would like to think I am more pro O than anti Mc.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

This has been the outline of 0bama's Energy plan from day one before the primaries. While McBush did not even have a plan.

Obama’s comprehensive New Energy for America plan will:

* Provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump
* Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
* Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
* Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.
* Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
* Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Check out the link if you want all the facts not the right wing lies.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy

[genseric13]

Is that the website that changed references to the surge when it started to be successful? Come on man, he changes that site whenever something doesn't look good anymore.

[genseric13]

Nissan is deploying an all electric car by 2010 with double the existing hybrid battery capacity. We've all heard of the Volt. Texas is building a giant windmill farm in west Texas. Pickens building another large farm in N. Texas. Many nuclear plant licenses have already been issued. The train has already left the station on alternative fuels. We still need to drill as well to reduce our trade deficit. McCain already knows all this. It's not some great revelation. The old saw is that if you tax something you get less, subsidize you get more. Barry wants to tax both oil and NG. This is a big mistake.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

How come the train is not out of the station on technology over 100 years old by your logic?

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

For one thing 0bama is not against nuclear energy that is another right wing lie. But there are cleaner safer technologies that can be deployed than nuclear with the proper investment.

The big difference is that 0bama wants to invest and McBush wants to leave it up to the market and tax breaks which has failed us for decades.

[ColinSF]

None of Obama's mistakes rise to the culpability level of a war based on deception, one that has already cost the country $1 trillion. The Repugs thinks they have the answers: Mortagage market in the tank thanks to their free market initiatives. They opened up offshore drilling in 2006, and guess what? Oil prices more than doubled in 2 years. Iraq was supposed to generate a profit on this war venture. Wrong again. Even on things like law and order: Guantanamo has produced 1 conviction in 7 years - what a waste of tax payer money! Need I remind them of the botched relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina? Another waste of $30 billion of taxpayer money (from GAO report). Repugs have zero credibility. They played their cards, and couldn't even get the law of averages to give them a break or two. They have set records for numbers of their ilk who got convicted of bribery, scandals, and sexual misconduct.

[LibsaretoosmartforMe]

The government does not create anything. They steal money/property and redistribute it to buy votes or pretend to help people (while the whole time taking their cut - jobs for friends and family, money for themselves and their friends-contributers some even get buildigns and roads named after themselves ). Obama and McCain know less about greenhouse gas than they do about the economy - Cap and trade will add at least 20million americans to welfare rolls (low est.). The number 1 greenhouse gas by far is H2O vaper (for you libs that is water - look it up). It would be nice if Obama and McCain could come up with a new Idea now and then. Na that would never happen. By the way you do need to produce the electricty for your plug-in hybrid cars. Or do you think the power comes from the power fairy and you only need to add an outlet to get more power. That is where my son thought power came from untl his 5th birthday. 150 miles per gallon they must have found those plans they were stolen in the 70's by big oil. We need term limits on congress now!

[genseric13]

My answer to KQ was held up but the plan listed above sounds almost surreal. The mighty politician passing out orders to all of us cogs in the wheels and then we dutifully carry out the master's wishes. Is the stock market and shareholders listed anywhere in this great Soviet 5 year plan. Keep it simple stupid, this crazy plan will lead to a total meltdown of the American economy.

[nellie]

The government does not create anything.

Tell that to the TVA. You really need a refresher course on civics. On engineering, too.

[clarkbarr]

Excuse me, Libsaretoosmartforme, let me school YOU in the real world instead of the "Laissez Fairyland" you float around in. You have the audacity to say that the government steals money? Tell that to our policemen and firemen who put their lives on the line every day. Tell that to my sisters who remember when our Dad was crippled in a mill accident and we had NO income except for Social Security Disability checks to put food on the table and keep our house payments going. Tell that to millions of Americans who are getting screwed by the oil companies. You need to come back to reality instead of living in your Galt's Gulch dream world.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

MMM yeah.

Libs are too smart for you.

I seriously hope your child has other sources of information besides yourself.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Anatomy of a corporate media slant machine.

0bama has had an energy program from the start of his candidacy with renewable fuels, conservation, new technologies and serious investments for those alternative energies from the start. Enter McBush who was against renewable fuels, against offshore drilling and has been in congress for 26 years and never took up energy independence. Now he flip flops on renewable fuels and offshore drilling and wants to build 45 nuclear plants and all of a sudden he is the energy czar.

[Mitchell4A]

Funny, Pawlenty is the same age as Obama....Hmmm is he too young?

It's time that Democrats had some fun with images of McCain after the last couple of weeks.

Here is one angle.

"Who Does McCain Remind you of? A New Game for Hard Times"
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[SCG]

Have you seen this one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NBFnL0f-kw

[Chicago1968]

walks like change, talks like change by golly it must be change he is advocating.

[SweetSydney]

"The debate over energy is going full tilt. Somehow Bar-ack Ob-ama is now reduced to arguing that tire inflation is a substitute for domestic energy development. I am not sure how calling your opponent “ignorant” qualifies as “the high road,” but I do agree with this take from the Left that “Oba-ma will lose this exchange and wind up sounding like a Dukakisian know-it-all.”

Oba-ma does have a few problems on the subject of energy: he is flip-flopping (or maybe not) on drilling and on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), he is saddled with his recalcitrant Democratic Congressional colleagues who fled rather than vote on drilling, public opinion is overwhelmingly against him, and he has his facts wrong (at least on oil savings from inflated tires). Mainstream media outlets frown at his windfall profits tax and SPR flip-flop which are seen as ham-handed, very old school gimmicks.

This episode is classic Oba-ma: he was slow to recognize he had a problem, he looks alternately recalcitrant and then irresolute (as with the surge) as be bobs and weaves between his base and political reality, and he condescends to voters. And then he doesn’t have a good answer for his own voting record. But it is really a failure of common sense: why not include domestic drilling as a significant part of our energy approach?"


- Jenn-ifer Ru-bin

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Poor BitterBetty.

Yet another pathetic attempt at diversion.

[SweetSydney]

Looks like it never fails, with you.

Why do you keep pulling my finger and then making the same face?

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Pointing out that you, a known r a c i s t, is attempting to divert the thread is not a success for your posting, BitterBettyWhiteTrash.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Poor right wingers cannot make an argument without a lie. 0bama has been the only candidate with a comprehensive energy plan from the beginning.

[genseric13]

The airhead airing up his tires cannot substitute for drilling for oil

[luvobama]

Poorbitterbetty,
What do you like about Mc C?

[SCG]

This "Jennifer Rubin" is a real household name. Anyway the SPR has been used in the past, and the result was lower oil prices. In fact just the threat of releasing or withholding filling the SPR gives oil traders some reason to fear a loss, should the future price go too high. Subduing excess "exuberant" speculation. (as Greedspan might say)

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

Las month I did a little experiment in "hypermiling": I kept the tires well inflated, slowed down to the speed limit, coasted to stops and downhills and timed the stop lights.

The mileage of my 2001 Honda Civic went up 18% from the usual 35 MPG to 41.5 MPG. I traveled 498 miles on 12 gallons of gas.

And you dare mock O for having common sense?

Aloha.

[genseric13]

I hope Pennsylvanians know about Barry's belief system and his prior support of black liberation theology. This is basically synonymous with brutal (communist) black dictators in Africa, such as Robert Mugabe. These beliefs are not in accordance with majority thinking in PA.

[SCG]

That's some powerful stuff you're smoking.

[Chicago1968]

No kidding that was some weird ramble on.

[BWonka]

That's so pathetically sad. What a lost stupid little person you are.

[genseric13]

Read his book.

[luvobama]

Go brush your tooth.

[gladys46]

You must be somebody's liability!!! In fact ... "IT'S LIKE THESE GUYS TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR IGNORANCE!"

Pennsylvanians are fully aware of Mc, you & all his cohorts, including GW!! PA will hold for O!! You can take that to some solvent bank!!

[genseric13]

Barry did support Robert Mugabe and BLT (international communism). What did I say that was inaccurate? Must the messenger always be flogged?

[luvobama]

I am so sorry for whatever has happened in your life, that has made you so miserable. I wish I could help. Life is too short.

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

It says something when one of McSame's running mate candidates likes BO better than JMC

[Bettysdad]

The main message Reagan left was that a Republican should announce their candidacy in Philadelphia, MS, in front of Klan members.

[kay]

"People don't want to follow some scornful person".

That was directed to The Maverick.

Not that he'll listen. He's in that weird Rove spell they all fall under.

[maxdenn]

Giving the keys to White House and the nuclear codes to the repub prez candidate makes zero sense. This guy would be a more dangerous chief exec than the lunatic currently occupying the Oval Office. President JM. What a nightmare. I wonder if the governor from minn. can spell potato? I have misgivings as to whether the gop prez candidate can.

[gladys46]

He forgot how much gas costed per gallon in South D. ..he stumbled, ah, ah, ah 4-5 dollars ... didn't have problems ad libing his lines offering his wife topless to 40 thousand gawking bikers!!

[PoliJunkie]

Gladys, he's just too nasty.

[BWonka]

Can't blame the man for finding Sen. O more positive than his own possible running mate - the majority of Americans agree and we'll be putting the positive man into the W.H. Come join us, Governor.

Or you can stay behind with the Greed Over Principles guys for the next few decades.

[luvobama]

Nicely said.

[BradPittsburgh]

DENVER (Reuters) - Protesters at the Democratic National Convention in Denver can be restricted to fenced-in areas, federal judge ruled on Wednesday, saying that security needs outweighed curbs on their rights.

That must have been O's idea he likes to spy on people and take away their freedom to free speech, and his followers are the same.

[BWonka]

Poor Brad - still shaming Pittsburg with your whiney desperation and ignorance.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Still posting your idiotic lies, BradPicksBoogers?

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

"That must have been O's idea he likes to spy on people and take away their freedom to free speech, and his followers are the same."

Can you back that up with some kind of fact or incident?

NOpe. As usual.

Vague empty fluff. And 100% false.

[Dreamers101]

It's a great ruling good for Denver

[AdLib]

Tell us all about that bastion of protection for the Constitution your miserable president BOOsh is.

(crickets)

Still waiting...

[Dreamers101]

Rethuglicans eat there own

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KheM688oddk&e