Tim Pawlenty Touts Tea Party Cred In New Web Video (VIDEO)

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty appears to be slowly testing the waters for a possible bid to be the Republican presidential nominee in 2012. The possible contender is out with a new web video that seeks to appeal to members of the Tea Party movement.

The Washington Post notes that the release of the clip could be an attempt to cozy up to the conservative coalition of activists ahead of other potential contenders like Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann.

Real Clear Politics reports:

But the video is also clearly part of a broader effort to rejigger Pawlenty's image. Often described as an easygoing, mild-mannered Midwestern politician, Pawlenty has been working to exhibit a more fiery side as he looks to feed off the passion of the tea party movement in advance of his likely announcement of a presidential run.

The Post notes that Pawlenty could ultimately have a tough time selling his candidacy to Tea Party supporters because of positions he's taken on various issues. He has a mixed record with causes they care the most about. He hesitantly expressed support for the TARP bailout -- though he has since attacked the Obama administration over its success -- doesn't maintain a record of lowering taxes, and once favored a regional cap-and-trade plan.

Nevertheless, the new spot rolled out by Pawlenty is titled "Tea Party: A New Birth of Freedom." The possible White House contender doesn't waste any time before praising the movement at the beginning of the video.

"We the people of the United States will rise up again," he says in footage featured in the clip. "We will take back our government. This is our country. Our Founding Fathers created it. Americans embraced it. Ronald Reagan personified it. And Lincoln stood courageously to protect it."

WATCH:

Comments

[Libgirl746]

05:12 PM on 03/05/2011

T-Paw is quite pathetically pandering. It's embarrassing to me and I'm a liberal.

[liberallibrarian]

09:24 PM on 03/02/2011

Why are all of my comments disappearing from this thread?

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

07:50 PM on 03/02/2011

MN has a good governor now. They just need to take out Michelle Bachmann in 2012. Even if a Democrat wins and doesn't keep the seat very long, Bachmann is an embarrasment to that state.

[SamiSam]

05:24 PM on 03/02/2011

Panderer.

[eva belle]

05:03 PM on 03/02/2011

You mean conservative activists who know how to and do actually research.

[venerablebean]

04:21 PM on 03/02/2011

"take back our country"

I don't understand these people. They had 8 years under Bush. The country VOTED, there wasn't a coup.

[onionboy]

04:54 PM on 03/02/2011

They mean take it back to a time when a black guy wasn't in charge.

[KDMac]

04:58 PM on 03/02/2011

No, the only people bring up race is the democrats, unfortunately.

[mike dougles]

07:29 AM on 03/03/2011

Bush was really bad on spending a big big issue for the tea party, sadly Obama is even worse.

[Mary Karius]

02:34 PM on 03/02/2011

so THIS is why we've gone through 8 years of hell here in MN...just so Timmy could show is tea party cred....gross

[liberallibrarian]

08:58 PM on 03/02/2011

You're just now noticing that?

[Patrick Garin]

12:03 PM on 03/02/2011

What a dork!!!

[dax49]

12:01 PM on 03/02/2011

Like a true republican, the day being associated with the tea baggers becomes a liability- and it will, he will deny ever being linked to them!

[ChrisCann]

11:52 AM on 03/02/2011

First any politician who panders to the tea party is opening himself to get slayed in any presidential election. the tea party makes up a small part of the electorate. any politician who wants to be backed by the tea party must become radically right. that will not fly in a general election. none of that matters. If we didn’t elect a black president there would be no tea party. they can claim all they want that it is not the case but facts prove them wrong. here is the main fact they can't seem to explain away. why was there no tea party during the bush years. Everything they are against he did. he expanded government, he spent like crazy and destroyed the surplus. he lied to the people about the two wars he started and didn’t pay for. Yet Obama get elected and before he is even sworn in the tea party arises talking about taking the country back, Explain that? explain how a white president can go against everything you stand for and that is ok but a black president who wasn't even president yet and you were against?

[comment from grandpa]

08:22 AM on 03/03/2011

Could not have said it better..............a reality America will have to live with.............

[Carolyn LeBeauf]

11:36 AM on 03/02/2011

Pawlenty, another one taken over by THE BODY SNATCHERS. What a joke.

[theerrantsoul]

11:07 AM on 03/02/2011

It's great how the Tea Party has essentially become a political brand-name.  "...and as we get closer to the next election, we can see that Pawlenty has changed his look and is sporting a stylish ultra-conservative ensemble.  Those slacks positively scream 'I hate liberals and won't compromise on anything'."

[Artanis71]

10:06 AM on 03/02/2011

"take back our country" apparently they mean it literally, building that bridge to the 1850s, I am so tired of listening to the GOPT whine that line out.

[blueinannarbor]

09:10 AM on 03/02/2011

Their is a certain synergy for Pawlenty and the Tea Party. What are Pawlenty's initials? TP. What are the initials of the tea party? TP. In addition, what are the initials of toilet paper? TP. (You know where I'm going with this, don't you?) The common bond between all three is that they are full of caca doodle doo!

[mnnyer]

09:05 AM on 03/02/2011

Pandering Pawlenty