Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Credit: marcn | ©Wikimedia Commons
Why He Should Be the VP Candidate for John McCain
"This is the kind of leadership that I'd like to pass the torch to." -- John McCain speaking about Tim Pawlenty in 2006The above statement, as recounted in a Boston Globe article show exactly why Tim Pawlenty will be the Vice-Presidential nominee for John McCain. While this was during the 2006 election cycle and McCain has a lot to consider when looking at a Vice-Presidential candidate, there are several reasons why Tim Pawlenty should be his nominee. These include: his conservative credentials, he's worked with McCain, he's from a potential swing state, he has executive experience from being a governor and he's young. So, let's look at each of these issues.
Conservative Credentials
According to the Boston Globe article, the Vice-Presidential nominee needs to have some conservative credentials. We all have heard too many times how McCain is an independent and has had trouble getting the conservative voters excited. McCain is in a tough position here because of his appeal to independents. If he picks someone too conservative - say Mike Huckabee - he has the potential to alienate those voters who have supported him thus far. So he needs someone who is conservative, yet not so conservative as to put people off.
Tim Pawlenty fits this description perfectly. The Boston Globe article points out that he is the perfect choice when it comes to someone who has the conservative credentials to get some of those voters excited, yet has the appeal to independents that he won't push those voters away. Minnesota is hardly a conservative state, so he has had to appeal to independent voters. Looking at immigration for example, a lot of conservatives have been upset with McCain's immigration policy, but would be happy with Pawlenty's. According to a Fox News interview with Pawlenty, Alan Colmes points out that he has had a much stronger policy against immigration than McCain has. While this might cause some friction, in the overall picture this can be used as a means to appease the conservative voters into believing that Pawlenty could have some influence on McCain on issues such as this one.
Pawlenty's Work With McCain
- Tim Pawlenty has a lot of good qualties for a Vice-Presidential candidate.
- Pawlenty's home state of Minnesota could go to the GOP with his candidacy.
- Pawlenty would provide good balance on the GOP ticket.
Comments
Dave
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/26/2009
There is already an "official" website for Tim Pawlenty for President up at http://pawlenty12.net -- it may be a bit early since he has not announced it. But he has my vote!
Marty
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/24/2008
McCain still does not get it! Conservative Republicans have delivered every state in the South in the General Elections since the days of Jimmy Carter. That will not happen this November for many reasons. Mostly because the Republicans, my former party, have jabbed their finger in the eyes of conservatives and have elected to go with the fence-sitters, the so-called independents. McCain's strategy will not work because he has proven over and over that his comfort is appeasing the other side of the isle.
Repeat after me; welcome to the Nation's Capitol President Obama?
I wonder if Pawlenty would be able to help McCain carry Minnesota. I have my doubts.
Let's not forget that during Pawlenty's tenure in which he consistenly underfunded transportation and appointed an unqulaified head, a major bridge fell down! He was a Bush Republican until lately, of course, when it's not politically correct for even a Republican to be a Bush anything. And with a Democratic legislature, a Democratic Senator, and a Senate race in which a Dem is likely to beat an incumbant Republican, and 5 Dem US Representatives out of 8, there is no possible way that Pawlenty could deliver Minnesota for John McCain.
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