Pawlenty Leaves Open Possibility, Expect Announcement Within 1 Year

[Lunar]

What about your own political future? Are you thinking about a presidential run?

I really have put off any sort of decisions about my political future until we get through this legislative session and this budget crisis, and I want to stay focused on that. I haven't ruled out running for re-election as governor, either. I've told our local press that I'll something to say about that later this year, but generally, I'm going to focus on the task at hand.




You can read more about what Pawlenty thinks of Reagan and the future of his party here:
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/this_being_a_democratic_week.php#more

[Keystone Phil]

Excellent!

[Purple State]

He doesn't seem to have it in him. Any run for the presidency would be viewed as half-genuine, he would be blasted by the media for a lack of passion, etc. He would be out before Super Tuesday.

[paul718]

Some people have that Presidential spark.  Pawlenty does not. 

Agreed.  Same goes for Huckabee, Palin, and a few others. 

[Mr. Morden]

I expect that the announcement in a year is just going to be as to whether or not he'll run for reelection for governor.  He probably won't announce anything about a presidential run for two years.

But the announcement on running again for governor would give us a clue as to his presidential ambitions.  If he doesn't run for another term as guv, then I'd guess he's going to go for prez.  I mean, he's still pretty young.  If he doesn't run for another office, what else is he going to do?

[Keystone Phil]

I will state, for the record, that while I really like Pawlenty and want him to run in 2012, I also worry that he doesn't have it in him to run a Presidential campaign. Maybe I'm just misreading his incredibly laid back, soft spoken style.

The good news, however, is that if he really doesn't have it in him to run, he'll stay away. We're not going to see another Fred Thompson style campaign.

[Mint]

Some people have that Presidential spark.  Pawlenty does not.  I don't see him going anywhere.  But perhaps that's what we're looking for in 2012.

Thankfully. Then again almost anyone is preferable to Palin or Huckabee...

[tmthforu94]

He doesn't seem exciting. He isn't someone who is going to get millions of people going door-to-door like Obama probably will. We need someone who people will instantly like. I would like to make a suggestion, but I honestly don't know of one.

[perdedor]

Pawlenty would be a miserable candidate, especially put up against an even remotely successful Obama. Then again, if Obama is very successful...he may make a good sacrificial lamb.