Mike Huckabee may have won the straw poll at the Family Research Council's
Values Voter Summit, but Tim Pawlenty may have done himself
the most good. I saw the major contenders give their
speeches and thought,
like Mark Hemingway of NRO, that Pawlenty showed
he had the goods.
Pawlenty's presentation of his own record as a budget-balancer in
MN was impressive and he sounded like the kind of conservative
candidate who knows how to handle himself in a debate. The
Minnesota governor came off as smart, tough, and ready for prime
time. If he keeps making the rounds speaking the way he did
Friday night, he is going to gain supporters in every part of the
Republican coalition.
I'm tempted to include some excerpts from the remarks, but I
don't think it will do him justice. What impressed me more
than any particular phrase was the way he carried himself.
His countenance exuded challenge to the left. There
was, to employ an overused sporting phrase, a notable swagger in
the way Pawlenty looked and talked. This is a guy who
wouldn't make you afraid to tune in to debates or press
conferences. Instead, you'd relish the chance to see him in
action. Tim Pawlenty is ready for a fight.
