Pawlenty: "Drill, baby, drill, by itself, is not an energy policy."

[nsd]

The best sign yet '08 is over...

...or at least that a crowd of governors, staff and lobbyists is different than an audience of GOP activists.

Said Tim Pawlenty just now in his RGA luncheon speech: "Drill, baby, drill, by itself, is not an energy policy."

Noting that wind, solar, biomass and geothermal must be part of the equation, Pawlenty drew applause from an otherwise sedate crowd.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1108/The_best_sign_yet_08_is_over.html

[scheming daemons]

1. No... but it IS a good name for a porno movie starring a Palin look-alike......

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Or, considering the prospects of her current employment... nt

[AlCzervik]

2. Speaking of drilling, their whole platform sucks.

stop hating science republicans and stay out of people's personal lives.

[WI_DEM]

4. Sounds like he is setting himself up for an '12 presidential run.

[eissa]

5. I think he's the one to watch

If not for president, then certainly a VP pick for the repukes in '12.

[bullwinkle428]

6. Yet Palin is still offering herself up as a policy advocate for the Obama administration

on the subjects of energy policy and special needs children!! :rofl: :rofl:

I heard this being discussed between Norah O'Donnell and Richard Wolfe on MSNBC just an hour or so ago when I was by the TV here at work...

[Occam Bandage]

7. Tim Pawlenty is extraordinarily dangerous.

He won't rile up the right-wing base nearly as much as a number of other people would, but at the same time, there's very little there to whip up the Democrats against him. He's charismatic, pragmatic, and despite a few cases of playing hardball when he didn't have to, he's made a good show of acting like he's working together with the DFL-held Minnesota legislature. He holds all the "correct" right-wing positions on social issues, but he doesn't make a show of it, nor does he push for them, making him seem quite moderate to the general electorate. He won two terms in a solid blue state, and he still has solid approval ratings.

If the Republicans nominate Tim Pawlenty, it'll be a sign that they're moving past their Southern-fried culture-warrior identity, and into a far more dangerous subdued Midwestern pragmatism. If they tack on Huckabee to appeal to the crazies, I think they've got a real shot at upsetting Obama.

Of course, all this depends heavily on how the next four years goes, so this kind of speculation will probably look ridiculous eighteen months from now.

[cooolandrew]

8. Great to hear some common sense winning the day.