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Pawlenty endorses Romney

Pawlenty endorses Romney

In a post at NRO, praising Romney without bashing other Republican candidates:

But he’s not only a family man, he is a man of principle. He believes in the bedrock conservative ideals of limited government and free enterprise. He will stand up for America’s allies when they are threatened, with fortitude. And he will face down our adversaries. He is a formidable person, and he will certainly be a formidable president. Our allies can count on it, and our enemies should expect it.

I don’t think this means a lot in terms of votes for Romney, but it certainly is a plus, particularly to the extent it gives Romney another high profile Republican to campaign for him and help raise money.

It also reflects the continuing divide between the traditional Republican leadership and the upstarts. I viewed Pawlenty as someone who could bridge that gap, but it wasn’t to be.

While I don’t think this in and of itself is a huge event, it does signal a coalescing around Romney of a traditional segment of the party which was neither inside-the-beltway nor Tea Party.  That seems to be the territory Romney is mining.

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Comments

And in an unrelated news story …… the defunct Pawlenty campaign which was hopelessly in debt is now debt free.

This endorsement was not what I wanted to hear but it really wasn’t surprising. What is interesting to watch is Bachmann sharpening her knives for Perry and yet no criticism of Romney. Why is she even running?
She has no cogent plans, very few accomplishments, she will not even carry MN in a general election. Perhaps, she is using her “conservative” credentials to take down any credible conservative challenger to Romney.

    votermom in reply to spartan. | September 12, 2011 at 10:45 am

    And in an unrelated news story …… the defunct Pawlenty campaign which was hopelessly in debt is now debt free.

    What a coinky-dink.

    Although, good for Pawlenty!

While a useful addition to the Romney bandwagon, I believe Romney and other ‘Rockefeller Republicans’ are in big trouble this election cycle.

Simply look at the current polling. Romney and Huntsman on are on the establishment side of the GOP electorate. Combined these who represent no more than 25% of the polling. Conservative/Tea Party, represented by Bachmann, Perry, Cain, Santorum, Johnson, et al, have approximately 65%. The outliers of Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich have 15% of the electorate.

As for Palin, should she opt to join the fray, it will be at a time when Bachmann, Cain, Santorum, Johnson, have either left the race or be on their last gasp. She will take votes from them and some from Perry.

TPaw told all three of his supporters to vote for Mitt.

Midwest Rhino (not RINO) | September 12, 2011 at 9:47 am

All I require of my “Tea Party” candidates is that they want to reduce the size and scope of government.

Stop the billionaire bailouts and the government picking of winners and losers, based on political connections.

Romneycare may not be Tea Partyesque, but at least it was on the state level, and he learned his lesson? He wants to repeal Obamacare, so that fits the TP bill. He wants to reduce regulation of business, etc. “Taxed Enough Already” covers 70% of the population. It is the left that wants to divide the grassroots movement into Romney versus Perry or Palin.

Most Republicans fit well in the Santelli version of a Tea Party candidate. Here is the founder of the Tea Party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or-EKjfVCoA&feature=related

    Romneycare may not be Tea Partyesque, but at least it was on the state level, and he learned his lesson? He wants to repeal Obamacare, so that fits the TP bill.

    With all due respect, and I am not trying to be a wise guy; but when and where has Romney come out with a specific statement that he would repeal Obamacare? I have heard of generalities criticizing it, moderated by his desire to preserve his state version and continue to support it while blaming everybody else for its existence, but has he somewhere specifically called for the actual repeal of Obamacare? Because him doing that would catch him between a rock and a hard place, given that Romneycare was the direct pattern for Obamacare. For him to go after Obamacare would require a change in position and for him to go after Romneycare too. Given the miserable failure and costs of Romneycare, that in itself would not be a bad thing, and would show that he has “learned his lesson?” (sic). I have just not seen any sign of it.

    Subotai Bahadur

A liberal endorses another liberal. Shocking.

[…] » Pawlenty endorses Romney – Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion I don’t think this means a lot in terms of votes for Romney, but it certainly is a plus, particularly to the extent it gives Romney another high profile Republican to campaign for him and help raise money. […]

StephenMonteith | September 12, 2011 at 10:19 am

I think Pawlenty’s endorsement comes with more weight than you would think. Remember, despite his lack of support, he still had a great organization going in Iowa. Romney’s own organization isn’t as profound as it was four years ago, so he’ll need all the help he can get there, if he’s indeed serious about campaigning in the caucus (which I believe he is).

Likewise, the whole Midwest is up for grabs right now. Without Haley Barbour or Mitch Daniels in the race, that whole swath is going to be highly competitive. Who knows whether Minnesota’s former governor will be able to appeal to that area on Romney’s behalf? Remember, he never really got a chance to campaign outside of Iowa.

“He believes in the bedrock conservative ideals of limited government and free enterprise.”

How is it possible to reconcile this claim with Romneycare?

Answer: It isn’t possible. Romney believes in limited government only as long as the polls tell him to.

    Midwest Rhino (not RINO) in reply to irv. | September 12, 2011 at 11:01 am

    The polls are overwhelmingly for limited government, so as long as Romney listens, perhaps that is OK. Perry is listening also. I might like him better, not for sure yet.

    Democrats have mastered the art of ruling AGAINST the will of the people. They use polls to shape their propaganda, not to do the will of the people.

    Newt’s debate synopsis of what all the Republicans stand together for, might fit the Tea Party label well. The media/Democrats want to divide and conquer. The Tea Party has a big tent. We’re all Tea Partiers now.

    It is convenient to divide the Republicans into “more tea partyish and not”, but that seems to fall into the Democrat scheme.

    khan in reply to irv. | September 12, 2011 at 11:44 am

    None of the candidates favor limited government except Ron Paul. Look at the kerfuffle over Social Security, and look at how many of these so-called conservatives are rushing to say how it must be saved. It’s a liberal dream of wealth redistribution, and they all want to keep the status quo.

When National Review endorsed Romney 2008 they went from “standing athwart Liberals yelling stop” to “standing with Liberals yelling Government MANDATES”

NR is a Cult of William F. Buckley’s Ghost.

But wait…the “traditional leadership?” Why isn’t the 10-year Governor of Texas who was before that the lieutenant governor and before that the elected agriculture commissioner, not to mention that until about 20 years ago, he was a Democrat, part of the “traditional leadership” too?

Is everyone so easily manipulated that wearing cowboy boots and calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme can turn an establishment guy into an “upstart?”

    WarEagle82 in reply to JEBurke. | September 12, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    Ronal Reagan was once a Democrat so that alone doesn’t cause me undo concern about Perry. However, Rick Perry is certainly an establishment politician. And he is no Ronald Reagan.

    I am not saying I won’t support Perry but he looks much too much like a big government, compasionate conservative, establishment Republican at this point.