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The former Minnesota governor and presidential contender takes a stand.
Pawlenty will kick off his tour at the National Press Club in Washington on Jan. 13. He then will travel to major presidential election states during the first month, including the early nominating contest states of Iowa and New Hampshire, where he already has invested lots of money and time.
Pawlenty established political action committees in Iowa and New Hampshire, where he doled out more than $118,000 to dozens of candidates for state offices in both states in the November midterm elections. He also donated about $100,000 to 48 Republican candidates for the House of Representatives and $61,000 to 22 Senate candidates through his federal Freedom First PAC, according to an analysis by the campaign finance watchdog Center for Responsive Politics.
Pawlenty’s leadership PAC has raised $3.3 million since he created it in the fall of 2009, an early sign that he was seriously considering a run for the 2012 nomination.
“We’re really proud to have played a role in conservative victories,” said Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant. “We made a lot of friends in the process and look forward to seeing many of them during the book tour.”
Conant said Pawlenty still has a March timetable for announcing his decision on the 2012 race.
Meanwhile, at least one major political publication in the nation’s capital considers Pawlenty a top-tier challenger. The Hotline, a daily political roundup published by the National Journal, had Pawlenty on its A-list in a November power ranking of 15 potential GOP contenders. The rankings were based on fundraising, campaign organization, strengths and weaknesses.
“He’s certainly got the executive experience and conservative credentials, but early reviews of his public appearances make us wonder whether he’s exciting enough to inspire a primary audience,” the magazine said in ranking Pawlenty No. 2 on its A-list.
More pointedly, Politico observed last summer that Pawlenty suffers from “a charisma deficit and (lacks) a clear rationale for why he should be president.”
Jacobs at the University of Minnesota agrees with that assessment. He said about the only way Pawlenty could gain the nomination would be through attrition.
“He’s the candidate who has least offended people, but he can’t generate any interest,” Jacobs said. Pawlenty still could win the nomination, Jacobs added, “if the other candidates continue to self-destruct and he’s the one who’s left standing.”
The Daily Hatch 