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

[kay]

I just agree with The Maverick's former long term advisor: The Maverick is playing "small ball" with the Paris Hilton silliness, and I don't think that will work.

I also think that's what the governor of Minnesota is saying, here, although less honestly and clearly.

I wouldn't do it, as a sales-gal, because the risk is huge that when I say "Paris Hilton" you'll think "John McCain".

I think he'll got burned by his own negative ad. He bumped, a little, in tracking polls. He's the same or worse in all the others. I'm not seeing the benefit, and the risk is hanging out there.

Small ball. That's not going to work. Not the CW, I know. I've made a little money in sales, though :)

[SweetSydney]

Nine points, in a week.

Maybe you're right kay, but nine points...i­n a week.

[ThunderclapNewman]

He holds a consistent average lead of 5 to 6 points, week after week.

[BWonka]

Something Mc Bu$h would, er, um, uhh d i e for.

[SCG]

That Paris reply ad is re-running daily, ridiculing the old wrinkly dude. Maybe Maverick will think twice before just using someone in his ads without their permission?

[Dreamers101]

Like cream this comment floats to the top thanks HumeSkeptic

__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­_______
Superbus See Profile I'm a Fan of Superbus

Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin are not typical Republican soldiers.T­hey have minds of their own ...

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:06 PM on 08/06/2008
-------------

Admission from Superbus that a "typical Republican" does not have a mind of his/her own.

In other words, a "typical Republican" is mindless, as widely suspected.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Owwwwwwww! Nice Catch!!

RAOTLMFAO!!!

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

:)
:)
:)
Nice :)

[LeSamourai]

They're called 'Dittoheads' for a reason.

The should change their title from GOP to KCCCC (or KC4):

Kinko's Conservative Cranium Copier Caucus.

[Keo]

The Republicans need to develop some ideas?
The Republicans need to be positive and offer a hopeful message?
Uh. . . .duh......­..

EXACTLY, Tim, EXACTLY!
And because they haven't, and they won't, and they may even be unable to at this time, THEY DON'T DESERVE TO WIN IN NOVEMBER!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!

A republican with sense, with something going on between his ears other than spite, and stupidity, and reflexive hostility. Wow. What a concept. I bet they wish they'd decided to run someone like that for the Presidency.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

But even if they had someone with integrity, what could they possibly say??

[marthlois]

Come on Huff Post. The title of this article is off in SO many ways! I realize that you want to pull
folks in, but "McCain's VP Pick? Need some quality control for sure!

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Bin Laden's driver was convicted. Anyone else feel safer tonight?

I am guessing there will be no more violence in Eyerack.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

What?? There's been violence in Irack???

[ThunderclapNewman]

Finally! It's all over.

Now it's just candy and flowers.

[SweetSydney]

Shhhhh....

Bar-ry doesn't want any more discussion about Iraq. Afghanistan either, especially after Dingy Re-id just said that things are going "pretty well" in Afghanistan.

Oh, and don't use the phrase "we can't drill our way out of this crisis" either because Rush has coined the comeback "we can't inflate our way out of this crisis" and Bar-ry don't like it. Bar-ry don't like it at all!

Best stick to Hope and Change. Dance with the ones who brought you.

[ThunderclapNewman]

SweetSydney
As long as he doesn't smile or stare.
posted 07/18/2008 at 20:14:41

SweetSydney
Anybody know where ole purple lips is going tomorrow?
Maybe Iraq?
Flagged Posted 09:23 PM on 07/19/2008

SweetSydney
"Watermelons don't even have any food value, and they're heavy and fragile and impossible to ship." But they sure taste good on a hot summer day! Ask O, I'll bet he agrees.
posted Jul 16, 2008 at 09:39:04
.

Depraved r@cists like you have no credibility here, Betty Jo.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

SS, you couldn't inflate your way out of your own bubble.

You'll keep tryin' tho.

[genseric13]

The New Order won't be very kind to the majority. A large majority of whites will vote against Barry. They're going to get reamed by his administration. Unfortunately, 25% of the whites are flakes and that may be enough to lose us all of our rights. Black leaders in Africa are not exactly well known for their liberal tendencies.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

LOL I loved the part about Rush. You are too precious, Sydney.

I guess you don't mind that The ahem Maverick is taking whole chapters out of Willard's playbook and running away from W. That's OK?

The ahem Maverick sure did love W during the Republican primaries. He said the economy was going well, Americans were working, people are better off, there isn't a recession or anything.

Now in his latest ad he claims W is the worst president ever. Hmm

I feel bad that you are forced to support that sub-par candidate. You should be supporting Bob B arr the other black guy. :)

[Bettysdad]

I'd have no problem telling McCain, to his face, exactly what I think of him.

You're way to much of a coward to state your beliefs to Obama's face.

[alieninvader]

Convicted of being his driver...m­ust not have had a license. Maybe that's why we invaded Iraq...too many unlicensed drivers.

[gladys46]

After 7 yrs .. he was only convicted of lesser charges ... not one "terrorist" charge stuck!! GW the great terrorist hunter .... a driver!!

[maxdenn]

The guv. from minn. says the Republican Party is "too cynical" and "fatigued.­" Somewhat of an understatement. I'd be inclined to say.

[SCG]

Their BS has reached the end of the line.....f­inally.

[peter777]

Republicans are incapable of a positive message for most Americans because they mostly favor limited government and think that private industry can solve all problems by itself, unregulated. They have not learned much from the laissez faire system they ran the past 8 years. When you don't want to govern and are stuck in doctrinaire, reactionary Republicanism as espoused by the talk radio crowd, how can you have a positive message for American. No wonder the Republican campaign has been reduced to an attack machine.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Sadly, there are a few for whom the last 8 years have been great. Not sure if they're human though.

[Dreamers101]

Poor Tim Paw'lenty I fear that the Grand Old Per’verts will make an example out of him but voters watching this pending attacks will find it very negative match point tro//s

[alieninvader]

Isn't it amazing that the repugs have gotten themselves to the point where a comment that's simply common sense is shocking and newsworthy. They should all be ashamed. It's time to elevate politics in this country.

[lornejl]

I get a few posts, then I go on the "waiting list " . Night all.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Night, Lorne.

[Superbus]

Why are you double posting?

[SCG]

Nite lornejl . It's not you the program is acting up.

[Dreamers101]

Good night sleep tight

[luvobama]

Sweet dreams.

[gladys46]

nite lorne!!

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

I love when a GOP candidate says something good about 0bama that the tr0lls respond with strawman arguments. What losers.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Yep. They got nothing real to say.

[Dreamers101]

LAMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am soooooo loving this!!!!! Reading all the tro//s posting about a one of there potential vp pick Tim Paw'lenty and his “positive” comment.

This is like throwing chum in the water and watching the sharks in a feeding frenzy WOW it’s amazing.

Look look - there’s SweetDicky and ShortYellowBus circling each other HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

It's a tag-team circle-j**k.

[SweetSydney]

"A senior adviser to Bar-ack Oba-ma has blamed recent attack advertisements comparing the Democratic presidential hopeful to celebrities Britn-ey Spears and Paris Hilt-on for a dip in Mr Oba-ma's polls with voters.

Tom Das-chle, the former Democratic Senate majority leader, said in an interview with the Financial Times that the Mr Oba-ma's Republican rival John McC-ain was seeing a "short-term blip" as a result of the advertising, including one that used the image of Char-lton Hes-ton as Moses to mock the supposedly messianic Mr Ob-ama as being "The One".

"To a certain extent the ads are having some effect," Mr Da-schle said. "But you can't be thrown off your game plan by a momentary dip in polls."


According to kay, this trend will be reversed by the ad that Pa-ris has out, which will firmly tie Par-is and Mac together in the voter's minds.

[SCG]

Sydney , I must confess I don't read your posts when they ramble over two paragraphs, not worth the bother.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Just scroll down until you can flag.

BitterBetty, when it is not posting more Nostradumbass predictions, is only trying to divert the thread.

[NochlessMonster]

More than one line and I skip it........ any more than that is just a waste of time.... life is short you know......

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

The corporate party owns the corporate media.

That's the reason for much of the ups and downs.

And the obsession by semi-retards on the constant polling of the "horse-rac­e."

[ThunderclapNewman]

SweetSydney
As long as he doesn't smile or stare.
posted 07/18/2008 at 20:14:41

SweetSydney
Anybody know where ole purple lips is going tomorrow?
Maybe Iraq?
Flagged Posted 09:23 PM on 07/19/2008

SweetSydney
"Watermelons don't even have any food value, and they're heavy and fragile and impossible to ship." But they sure taste good on a hot summer day! Ask O, I'll bet he agrees.
posted Jul 16, 2008 at 09:39:04

[Superbus]

If you can't stop from reposting this drivel. you should be banned. You have nothing to offer.

[Superbus]

There are two types of liberals

1. Those who are good and loving souls who believe that the government should take care of those poor unfortunates that life has left behind.

2. The envious who believe it is government's role to redistribute wealth from the producers to the non-producers.

kay is number 1

[luvobama]

Wrong.

Again.

[SweetSydney]

kay used to bemoan "red state/blue state", rah-rah, go team partisanship. I remember her using the phrase.

Now, she asserts that ALL conservatives are stupid, cynical, hypocritical, humorless, evil.

ALL conservatives.

Go ahead, mi amigo, ask her to deny it.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Poor ignorant liar shortbus.

He still thinks people here believe his lies about his alleged wealth.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Waaaay over-simplified, false, and ret*rded.

But you wouldn't know that would you, Ann Cult*r?

[AuntieChrist]

As there are two types of conservatives

1. The super rich.

2 Poor dearies, craning their heads back like little birds for the rich punditocracy or the equally rich modern day Pharisees for them to regurgitate their vile bile into their receptἱve and hungry little mouths. All consisting of a diet of ἱgnorance flavored with fear and heated by hαte.

You and your friends who post here are number 2

[gladys46]

We've got to plant strawberrys around you ... so you're not bitter & angry!! An old Cherokee whollistic cure!!

Paris is Mc's hot pink babe!! (sorry Paris)

[Qbayarea]

Pawlenty's the Pillsbury dumb boy. He allowed the I35W bridge to fall in the Mississippi River. It fell down at the U Min where he attended school. He also has a DPW brother whom he did nothing with. He's an idiot through and through.

[gladys46]

So why is he on Mc's short list for VP!!?? "IT'S LIKE THESE GUYS TAKE PRIDE IN BEING IGNORANT"

That's why!!

[PoliJunkie]

Go Gladys, you know IT!!!!!

[VolvoBirkenstock]

ShortbusTheLiar, you need to understand something. You have been proven, time and time again, to be the most ignorant liar posting on this site.

You do not get to ask questions.

[SweetSydney]

Blanche, you need to understand something (Geez, get a load of this guy!). You have been proven, time and time again, to be the biggest poseur and most obsessive stalker (along with your girlfriend, Claptrap) on this site.

You do not get to ask questions or monitor the thread for off topic posts.

[ThunderclapNewman]

SweetSydney
As long as he doesn't smile or stare.
posted 07/18/2008 at 20:14:41

SweetSydney
Anybody know where ole purple lips is going tomorrow?
Maybe Iraq?
Flagged Posted 09:23 PM on 07/19/2008

SweetSydney
"Watermelons don't even have any food value, and they're heavy and fragile and impossible to ship." But they sure taste good on a hot summer day! Ask O, I'll bet he agrees.
posted Jul 16, 2008 at 09:39:04

Depraved R@cists like you don't make those decisions, Betty Jo.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Poor BitterBetty WhiteTrash.

Your projections about my life are not proof of anything.

Notice that you do defend those who have been proven to be liars, though.

Like Shortbus and Neo.

[NochlessMonster]

You stalker drivel has gotten old and stale.....­.. your boring, you never have anything nice to say, nothing to contribute, and basically you just come here to f*ck around and mess with people....­...... It is a complete mystery to me why people like you exist in the first place.....­.