Funny-sounding names for presidential hopefuls are not such a liability after Barack Obama's success. Otherwise, I'd say "President Tim Pawlenty" has a weird ring to it. And "T-Paw," as he is affectionately known by supporters, sounds even stranger. Expect a sea of foam rubber paws at the Republican nominating convention.
There is plenty of time for substance later on. For now, we'll examine our first semi-official entrant based upon purely superficial standards that I promise to fairly apply to others as they "explore."
Trail Mix Glitz Index (1=Guaranteed Loser 10=Super Presidential)
Hair (Rating: 7) The hint of a receding hair line costs him a point or two, but dumping the mullet head for a shorter crop was a savvy improvement. Healthy and plentiful hair seems to be a must for White House hopefuls. (We've had no bald presidents since Eisenhower, but he got a break for winning a world war).
Height (Rating: 10) An early task for inquiring journalists will be to confirm reports that Pawlenty is an inch taller than Obama. If so, watch out Democrats. The taller general election candidate almost always wins.
Weight (Rating: 9) The New York Times has called him "runner-thin," but we'll hold back a point until we see a shirtless beach photo. I don't apply a tough standard here. Basically anyone who is height-and-weight proportionate is electable.
Looks (Rating: 8) By Washington standards, Pawlenty could go Hollywood. Perhaps his look is suburban bland, but he definitely won't frighten the kids.
Voice (Rating: 7) Until his 1,000th rendition of the same stump speech we cannot know if he wears well, but for a relatively younger guy (50) his voice presents a pleasing avuncular sound, endearingly raspy with an genuinely empathetic tone. While the hint of a Midwestern twang is downright all-American, Pawlenty's occasional reach for a Southern drawl demands a quick call to the phony police.
Final Score: 8.2 (In the zone. Measure the drapes, governor, just in case.)
Funny-sounding names for presidential hopefuls are not such a liability after Barack Obama's success. Otherwise, I'd say "President Tim Pawlenty" has a weird ring to it. And "T-Paw," as he is affectio...
Funny-sounding names for presidential hopefuls are not such a liability after Barack Obama's success. Otherwise, I'd say "President Tim Pawlenty" has a weird ring to it. And "T-Paw," as he is affectio...
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WASHINGTON -- Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Monday became the first relatively well-known Republican to take a formal step toward running for president in...
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It's hard for me to imagine that a majority of American voters would agree that what we really need in the White House is a politician who is so eager to get elected that he'll promise the far-right just about anything.
T-Paws may be overwhelmed by these results. This might be considered on his candidacy for 2012. On the other hand, in Minnesota, Gov. Pawlenty has ended a loan program meant to increase minority household ownership. The loan program only provided three house loans between being set up by the Minnesota state housing agency and getting shut down by the governor. Pawlenty cited religious freedom as the reason for shutting down this Sharia-compliant home finance loan program. The vast majority of people still had to find huge personal loans to purchase a house.
dylanwalker: T-Paws may be overwhelmed by these results. This might be
To bad his "record" counts for nothing. He's famous in Minnesota for expanding the size of our interstate system very cheaply. The number of lanes were increased and it only required a few gallons of paint. T-Paw had the lane size reduced and added lanes by repainting the lines between lanes! Of course, the carrying capacity was reduced and many more accidents maimed and killed people but T-paw didn't have to drive anyway because he got a state trooper to run him around.
You should also remind people that he already has a great campaign song! New words set to the tune "London Bridges Falling Down"!
retromega: To bad his "record" counts for nothing. He's famous in
It is difficult to "pick" a winner, just by looking at him. There needs to be that "extra" quality where he can quietly control the room with his demeanor, composure and style. I am a life-long Democrat who voted for Mr. Obama. I read the Audacity book and I liked what I saw on TV and what I heard. It appears that most of what I voted for went up into smoke. Kind of like the smoke that is now rising over Libya. Back to Mr. Pawlenty. I met him in person in a small religious book store in ANkeny, IA. He was making one of his tentative, erly visits to check the reaction. There were more helpers and media than there was customers for his new book. I was able to get right up in line and stand right in front of him. I had rehearsed what I would say if I had the chance and I stuttered when it was my turn. Very unusual for me. I told him I was a life-lonf Democrat and I was starting to really listen and watch this former Minnesota Governor whith great interest. He stood up and shook my hand with both of his hands clamped around mine. Here he comes folks. This guy is the real deal. He's already got my vote!
James_Stordahl: It is difficult to "pick" a winner, just by looking
You should also remind people that he already has a great campaign song! New words set to the tune "London Bridges Falling Down"!