Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on GOP troubles

[ProSense]

QUOTE OF THE DAY....

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) described the Republican Party's troubles while speaking to the RGA yesterday.

"We cannot be a majority governing party when we essentially cannot compete in the Northeast, we are losing our ability to compete in Great Lakes states, we cannot compete on the West Coast, we are increasingly in danger of competing in the mid-Atlantic states, and the Democrats are now winning some of the Western states," Pawlenty said. "That is not a formula for being a majority governing party in this nation."

As if that weren't enough, he ticked off a few more challenges.

"Similarly we cannot compete, and prevail, as a majority governing party if we have a significant deficit, as we do, with women, where we have a large deficit with Hispanics, where we have a large deficit with African American voters, where we have a large deficit with people of modest incomes and modest financial circumstances. Those are not factors that make up a formula for success going forward."

Hmm. Republicans can't compete in the Northeast, the Midwest, the Sunbelt, or the Pacific Coast. They also can't win support from women voters, Hispanic voters, African-American voters, or working class families. (He forgot to mention young voters.)

Five years ago, Zell Miller wrote a book called, "National Party No More." If only he'd gotten the party right, he would have been a visionary.

Wonder who is the bigger fool: Karl, with his permanent Republican majority, or Zell?

[Occam Bandage]

1. Pawlenty is positioning himself very well for a run in 2012.

His pre-primary-campaign message is a simple one: "Republicans have become a party of arrogant, ignorant Southern moralists and culture warriors. Nominate me, and I'll return us to a path of informed but humble practicality--a path that will appeal to exactly the type of voters we're in risk of losing for good."

I think the Republicans would be best-served to nominate him as soon as possible. I hope, come 2012, that they're still so deluded that they think another Reagan/Bush Republican like Palin or Jindal is the path to the future.

[Alexander]

9. I agree. Pawlenty, Crist and Jindal are the ones to watch out for.

[dflprincess]

14. Just for fun - compare and contrast

Minnesota 1973, Governor Wendell Anderson (DFL):



Minnesota 2007, Governor Tim "no new taxes" Pawlenty (Republican)




Sometimes I think the 1973 "Time" article was one of the worse things that happened to the state. All sorts of people moved here for the "quality of life" and then had fits when they found out they had to pay for it.

[dflprincess]

2. They showed him saying this on the local news last night

he said he thought of the demographic as "Sam's Club voters". I also noticed he seems to be regrowing his mullet - perhaps in an attempt to appeal to Sarah Palin fans.

[ProSense]

3. She's becoming an embarrassment

to other Repubs.

It takes a lot to reach that point.

[Mooney]

4. He's making way too much sense.

I hope nobody listens to him. Nothing must get in the way of Supreme Chancellor Palin's ascendancy to the GOP nomination in 2012, 2016, 2020, and every four years after that. I want her on the Republican ticket for the next 50 years. I want the Republicans to disqualify themselves to the electorate in every election, and come away from each electoral rout convinced that their only path to victory is to be MORE ignorant, psychotic and bunker-mentality-wielding.

[democrat2thecore]

5. I can't belive McCain passed on him for *you know who*

The guy presents himself very well.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

6. Don't be deceived by Timmeh the Tool's moderate rhetoric

He's a fundy asshole, albeit one not as crazy as the Moose Princess. He's positioning himself as the "responsible" alternative but he's just another wolf in sheep's clothing. He is smarter than most Repukes, though.

[dflprincess]

11. Let us not forget -

he wanted the Senate seat Franken and Coleman are now fighting for, but Bush & Cheney told him they wanted Coleman in 2002. He obeyed his masters and dropped out of the seante race.

Also remember that he has won both his statewide elections with less than 50% of the vote. Timmy make be talking about appealing to the masses - and he'll do it with the same racism and fear mongering Bushco has done. And, like Bushco, he'll stab them in the back just as soon as he's in office.

[beachmom]

7. Crazy ole Zell just lost his mind. When he was sane he brought

college scholarship to Georgia. Pretty liberal move, in my view. So I think him losing his mind is the best theory I have for his turnaround.

[nutshell2002]

8. he's saying it again on Hardball right now

[BeyondGeography]

10. Pawlenty's measured, savvy Hardball outing merits another salute to Sen. McCain on his VP choice

:patriot:

[rvablue]

12. The question remains, however, if the GOP heeds Pawlenty's advice

and starts to move in a direction to attract all of those voters.....won't they just be exactly like the Democratic Party....what will the difference be....since Clinton's administration we've already become the party of fiscal discipline....and they will soon find out Obama isn't going to take anyone's guns away....so all they have left is the abortion argument....which they are going to find totally decreases during the Obama administration...they're effed basically.

[Doityourself]

13. Don't show this Pat Buchanan..lol..