He’s proven he has the ability to win over moderates. In all candor (granted I’m a conservative Minnesotan), he’s a hard guy not to like. I believe Hatch lost in ‘06 not only because he’s a complete jerk but because even though a lot of folks here may not agree with Pawlenty on conceal/carry, no new taxes, holding schools accountable, etc., he’s just so darn likeable. While Pawlenty is a guy folks wouldn’t mind having over to dinner, Hatch was a lot like the overbearing blathermouth at work everyone despises.

The Dems could’ve ran a Spam loaf with a dash “D” behind its name and won any office against any Republican the last go ’round. Bush is so unpopular here, you cannot go twenty feet in a mall parking lot without passing some beat-up Toyota with an anti “W” bumpersticker. And still a blue state dandy like Hatch couldn’t pull it out.

Democrats and Democrat confederates can’t say “Pawlenty” without gritting their teeth – such is their hatred for the man. When the 35W bridge collapsed last summer, not twelve hours had passed before state Democrats were posturing on the issue to pin the blame on Pawlenty and Molnau even though Dems (who have controlled the state legislatures since the dawn of time) have actively siphoned off gas tax monies intended for highway funding in favor of mass transit “studying” as the roads have rotted away over the last 20 years (”that’ll show those d— Republican suburbanites who drive ALONE to work every day”).

In a time where angry and liberal are virtually synonymous, Pawlenty is exactly what the conservative movement needs. He’s won here not because of his politics, but despite them. The more people see him, the more they like him. How many politicians can you say that about?

Barbama isn’t running strong because the country’s trending Marxist, he’s running strong because he’s a big government liberal’s dream (core vote) and enough “moderates” see him as charming. It’s not rocket science.

PALIN, exciting/energy (great help to McCain AND GOP)

The reason he’s on the list in the first place is for the single reason that he’s been loyal to McCain from the start. Sorry, that just isn’t reason enough. I don’t see him helping McCain at all.

Not only that, he’s a snore.

Meh. Actually MN hasn’t has a Dem governor since 1990 (Rudy Perpich). After that we’ve had a couple of two-term GOPers (Arne Carlson, Pawlenty) and of course Jesse Ventura. About the only area where the state remains solidly Democratic is in presidential elections.

Also, T-Paw is still remembered for his embarrassing slip of the tongue at the 2005 Minnesota Wild home opener, inadvertently dropping an F-bomb dropped on 18,000 spectators and hundreds of thousands of live TV viewers.

Our infrastructure is collapsing, our school system, once the states pride and joy has been left to mediocrity, and our states economy is marginal at best.

Not exactly a description of singular circumstances. I’d be more prone to holding the governor so responsible if I thought it were simply a case of simple obvious solutions not adopted.

But it seems that folks from every state are concerned that their schools are crumbling because each town lacks sufficient revenue. And that infrastructure is crumbling because too much stuff is getting old too fast and crumbling far more quickly than it can afford to be replaced, And that the state economy is not sufficiently robust to provide the level and scope of prosperity needed to fix such things.

Meanwhile, no one wants new taxes unless they tax someone else who is bad, evil, greedy, wasteful, indulgent or can simply better afford it. What did Pogo used to say…something like “I have seen the enemy and he is us.”

Maybe we don’t deserve the leaders we get, but we sure seem to get the leaders we deserve.

I voted for him last time, but good riddance, the Feds can have him, we dont want him anymore.