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Unimpressed By Palin’s Bus Tour, Pawlenty Goes After Obama: ‘Any Doofus Can Go To Washington’

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» 41 comments

After rolling out his campaign infrastructure with an elaborate video and a gaffe or two, Tim Pawlenty is going negative, mildly, and with polls showing almost anyone but Pawlenty is a viable Republican candidate, it may not be a terrible idea. Pawlenty ended the week attacking President Obama for his European trip on Twitter and even turning on potential candidate Sarah Palin.

Following up on the cattiest tweet in the Presidential campaign so far (“sorry to interrupt the European pub crawl, but what was your Medicare plan?”), Pawlenty visited CNN’s American Morning to elaborate on his campaign issues and react to his current poll numbers. He appeared happy that, despite the fact that “half the nation’s Republicans don’t know who I am,” he was still a viable candidate in the running, as early polls are “name ID more than anything.” If the polls were reliable, he joked, “Rudy Giuliani and Howard Dean would be presidents.”

With that in mind, asked if Palin’s weekend bus tour was worrisome to him, he seemed militantly unfazed: “This country isn’t going to be about rallies or you know bus tours or anything else,” Pawlenty said. “This is going to be about a country that is sinking in debt and deficit. We want to have a leader who has actually tackled those issues and doesn’t just talk about it.” He also noted that, while the current “exploratory” phases of other campaigns that may pop up are necessary, “soon we have to have a debate on the issues.”

As for the Democrats, Pawlenty followed up on his online red meat, sort of indirectly calling President Obama a “doofus”:

“Any doofus can go to Washington and maintain the status quo and that’s what we’ve got in the White House and in Congress in terms of their attitude about their willingness to tackle these issues,” Pawlenty said. “If we’re not going to have leaders who are going to say that and do it and tell the American people, look them in the eye … then we’re all wasting our time.”

The full interview may not be particularly heated but from the perspective of campaign strategists and political wonks, his performance here is rather fascinating. Pawlenty enters the race with a serious branding problem. Reputation and gubernatorial accomplishments aside, his most positive reception from primary voters has been when he has played his card as a “generic” candidate– which does wonders for likability in an election climate like this but deliberately undermines his name recognition, hence the 5% average poll numbers. Now he is flirting with the most dangerous double-edged sword in politics: going negative.

Negative advertising has been proven repeatedly successful throughout the past several decades of electioneering, from Lyndon Johnson‘s “Daisy” Ad to the John KerryWindsurfing” spot. But despite many public officials winning their offices through such campaigning, polls repeatedly show that voters can tire of it– especially recently, and especially from Republicans. What’s more, Pawlenty seems to have little else in his favor that distinguishes him in the current field, which means that if voters do sour of his negative turn, they’ll have a hard time finding a silver lining. Then again, while attacking President Obama on his record is par for the course for every candidate, he is the first to be vocally, combatively apathetic about Palin, who has up to now mostly cruised at sacred cow status among many in the right.

Pawlenty is at his best when he isn’t taking himself too seriously, and indirectly calling the President a “doofus” certainly isn’t the act of an immaculate public servant. Watch the full American Morning interview via CNN below:


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  • Universaltruth

    Any doofus? Pot calling kettle……….. Bwahahahah

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    “and a gaffe or two”
    -FM

    ?!

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    T-Paw clocks-in w/ another solid interview…

    Team Obama, where’s the mud?

  • CAINtheBULL

    The guy has been sitting at 5% in the polls for how long?

  • labman57

    If Pawlenty intended to insult Obama with the term “doofus”, why are GW Bush’s ears burning?

  • http://victoryinamericaday-11210.blogspot.com/ Bob Uda

    Pawlenty makes a politically fatal mistake by attacking Sarah Palin. That’s what happens when politicians get desperate. His race is over.

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    Bob Uda said:
    Pawlenty makes a politically fatal mistake by attacking Sarah Palin. That’s what happens when politicians get desperate. His race is over.

    he never “attacked” Palin…
    especially in light of what the Left has throw against that fine woman…

  • Resistance Is Futile

    Pawlenty has the nerve to call Obama a doofus? Has he looked in the mirror or watched a video of himself? This is a case of projection if I have ever seen one before. How pathetic. Is this all Pawlenty has to say?

  • Gasket
  • Gasket

    skoorbekim said:
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    More Online/Print:

    No mud needed from team Obama.

  • Gasket

    ^^ That was weird.

    skoorbekim said:
    T-Paw clocks-in w/ another solid interview…

    Team Obama, where’s the mud?

    No mud needed.
    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/president_obama_vs_republican_candidates.html

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    Gasket said:
    No mud needed.

    T-Paw is an electoral college nightmare for Team Obama…
    we’ll just agree to disagree on that subject..
    please watch the January T-Paw interview with J Stewart…

  • Mahala4

    Pawlenty is or very SIMILAR to *Judas*… he even is ATTACKING Palin, from his SAME PARTY.. Folks, it is TIME for a PRESIDENT FOR THE PEOPLE and NOT the PARTY… This is just an example of what we ALL have to CONSIDER when going to the POLLS. The democrats/republicans are CONSTANTLY bickering back and forth, and the republicans won’t do anything that will give CREDIT to Obama/the democratic president. Consequently, NOTHING is getting done for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA… Wake up to this fact, and lets do a COMPLETE 360 degree turn, and vote in a PRESIDENT FOR THE PEOPLE… Even the republicans found it hard to SWALLOW that a democratic president, Obama, KILLED Bin Laden… they even tried to give credit to his predecessor,bush…

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    Mahala4 said:
    Pawlenty is or very SIMILAR to *Judas*…

    please stay away from sharp objects and heavy machinery…

  • tegeagent0007

    I’m hoping that Bachmann and Palin run, split the tea party vote and hand Iowa to Pawlenty. This would really start the money rolling in for him. Given the fact that Dick Armey’s tea party is trying to destroy Romney, Pawlenty could be poised to win New Hampshire or at least take a close second. Then he could start rolling with South Carolina and while Romney keeps fading, also take Florida. Huntsman has problem of his own. He’s for gay unions and cap and trade and he’s written letters admiring Obama’s leadership. This will not sit well with the far right. I could see a scenerio, where Pawlenty can be the nominee.

  • mtjade4

    Pawlenty sure didn’t sound like this when he was my Governor. It was all “Minnesota niceness”.

    What’s with this “sounding tough” stuff?

  • WillP

    Yes, Pawlenty has a serious shot. The most unclear factor that will determine the outcome of the race in my judgment are the number of candidates who can seriously appeal to the populist grassroots base of the party. If you have a handful of candidates fighting amongst themselves for this support the nominee will be Romney. If you have one strong candidate emerge victorious at the grassroots level then that candidate could win Iowa and South Carolina and ultimately the nomination. I believe that the one candidate who could derail Pawlenty’s chances is fellow Minnesotan Michelle Bachman. She could win or seriously hurt Pawlenty’s chances in Iowa. Pawlenty must win Iowa or it will be too late to muster enough support to win the nomination hence the ticket will be Romney Pawlenty facing Obama Biden.

  • Barack Must Go

    Unimpressed By Palin’s Bus Tour, Pawlenty Goes After Obama: ‘Any Doofus Can Go To Washington’

    Well obviously this doofus isn’t going any time…….ever.

    Republicans still are too dumb to shut their mouths ( with what they believe are folksy, everyman comments ), smile for the camera, and answer a yes or no question with a 15 minute awesome chili recipe answer and they will be the next president of the United States of America.

    In other words follow the Obama / Pelosi doctrine. Never, ever let the American people know anything about you by talking nonsense to the point they just want you to shut up and leave them believing it’s perfectly normal & OK to vote for you, then find out what’s in you after you’re in office.

  • WillP

    mtjade4 said:
    Pawlenty sure didn’t sound like this when he was my Governor. It was all “Minnesota niceness”.

    What’s with this “sounding tough” stuff?

    Pawlenty has made the choice to talk and act tough to appear willingly to address politically volatile issues that other candidates shy away from. So you have him attempting to take a stand on ethanol subsidies in Iowa or social security in Florida. Whether this tough medicine approach will really help him or not is too soon to tell.

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    WillP said:
    Romney Pawlenty

    They will be the last two standing for the GOP nomination…

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    WillP said:
    So you have him attempting to take a stand on ethanol subsidies in Iowa or social security in Florida. Whether this tough medicine approach will really help him or not is too soon to tell.

    you’re right… it welds with the Ryan approach… I can’t wait to see how this plays out…

  • WillP

    Barack Must Go said:
    Unimpressed By Palin’s Bus Tour, Pawlenty Goes After Obama: ‘Any Doofus Can Go To Washington’

    Well obviously this doofus isn’t going any time…….ever.

    I really didn’t take this as a shot at Palin. In any case, he would be wise to avoid criticism of Palin. I do not believe she actually runs. We will wait and see. If she does run she further divides the grassroots Tea Party vote. Romney wins by default.

  • Nachi

    Brilliant words from another Republican intellectual.

  • cjd ohio 1

    he really went after the president and congress, but hey this headline is better lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kathy-Kitt/628413749 Kathy Kitt

    “Wake up to this fact, and lets do a COMPLETE 360 degree turn, and vote in a PRESIDENT FOR THE PEOPLE… ”

    Do you realize that a “complete 360 degree turn” takes you in a circle and you wind up back in the same place you started?

  • http://Mediaite.com uggugg

    Here is my take on what is wrong with our economy and how to fix it. The farther the distance between the rich and poor, the worst the economy becomes the closer the distance between the rich and the poor, the better the economy becomes. Convincing the super rich to cooperate by taking a vacation and allowing the poor and middleclass to catch up is like pulling teeth from an 800 lb. Gorilla without using drugs during the operation. If Our Government and Our Super Rich don\’t get their act together soon, both will suffer an unnecessary calamity which history will tell the children of the Super Rich how intoxicated their parents were on the money they schemed to take form the New Global economy because they could, and how Our Government, the Greatest Government on the face of the earth, was too conscientious to take it back from them, causing total disorganization and disruption of the finest system of caring for humans ever established since the beginning of time

  • A.R.

    you need a special kind of doofus to be running for president for months and still be ignored

  • Barack Must Go

    WillP said:
    I really didn’t take this as a shot at Palin. In any case, he would be wise to avoid criticism of Palin. I do not believe she actually runs. We will wait and see. If she does run she further divides the grassroots Tea Party vote. Romney wins by default.

    Nor did I. He only gave what he thought was a clever quip regarding Palin to look cool and in charge of the situation.

    I have watched him interact with three or four interviewers and he is more like a fish out of water ( poking fun at interviewer etc, then immediately explaining ” that was just a joke ” or I’m just kidding ) than a serious contender for president of the United States of America.

    Maybe being in New Jersey I just don’t understand his tacky attempt at humor.

    Either way he should knock it the hell off now, before it does him in, as it’s that bad.

  • OZ

    I love when meaningless candidates spout how any “doofus” can go to Washington and maintain the status quo. What he is really trying to say is, “even he has a chance to be President”, which we all know is delusional, on his part. The “Republicons” are faced with a tough choice. Choose from a candidate who is certifiable or a candidate who falls into the “doofus” category.

  • OZ

    Did you see Jimmy Kimmel’s classic Sarah Palin Presidential ad? If you haven’t, you should.

  • pinandpuller

    Any doofus did go to Washington…cymbal shot.

  • WildMan

    Uhhhhh Timmy boy, it is time for you and that other doofus, Newt, to drop out of the race. Ain’t a soul in America who’ll vote for either of you two wackos. Maybe apologize to Sarah first and then you and Newt can go join fat & angry Ed Schultz and even angrier and just as nutty, Lawrence O’Donnell in the line of UNwanted & UNliked goofballs who only know one thing, how to open your big mouths and shoot yourself in the foot at the same time. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeshh, how can anybody be as dumb, stupid and ignorant as you four nutjobs. Wait, I forgot Chris ‘Tingles & Thrills’ Matthews. The combined IQ of you 5 might, I said might, come in around 70 but, that would really be stretching it.

    Have a nice Memorial Day weekend you ol’ wacko!

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  • CAconservative

    uggugg:

    What you are describing is exactly what we don’t need. There has always been a discrepancy between rich and poor in a free market society. That’s not the problem. The problem is this governments willingness to steal from those that work and give it to an ever increasing base of underachieving parasites who are more than willing to take entitlements (welfare) instead of taking responsibility for themselves. That is, and never was the responsibility of this government. The government role is to make sure there is a legal, and level playing field for all who wish to create. What we are seeing with Obimbo’s administration is outright theft of the fruits of one’s labor and give it to their voting base of bottom-feeders who don’t pay into anything! All this administration has done is to hold down entrepreneurship by ever increasing taxes and regulations. Remove the “incentive” to create and produce for personal gain, and what you are left with is a stagnate society doomed to fail.

  • Michael_T

    These politicians continue to nibble at the edges with their pledges of increasing the retirement age and means testing for the Social Security COLA.

    Why doesn’t the Tea Party and/or liberal groups hold their feet to the fire? Instead what we have is a big echo chamber parroting the same tired rhetoric about entitlement programs.

    Where are the bold proposals about the following:
    1) Out of control foreign aid expenditures – plus too many military bases abroad
    2) Farm and oil subsidies
    3) Tax loopholes for the super wealthy and their corporations, which if eliminated could allow the U.S. to consider a lower corporate tax rate keeping jobs in America
    4) Expedite reduction in the crippling expenditures in Iraq and Afghanistan
    5) And perhaps boldest of all, how about a 3%-5% reduction in all of government with few exceptions. Every single department should have to trim their budgets/staffs just like corporations resort to when they face financial hardship.

    Perhaps some of our critics overseas have it exactly right. Americans (especially the decision makers) are weak. They are too concerned with alienating special interest groups while the deficit continues to languish in unprecedented chaos at the hands of weak-kneed politicians in both major parties. There are simply too many cowardly members in congress with too few bold solutions.

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  • Yoda002

    Michael_T said:
    These politicians continue to nibble at the edges with their pledges of increasing the retirement age and means testing for the Social Security COLA.

    Why doesn’t the Tea Party and/or liberal groups hold their feet to the fire? Instead what we have is a big echo chamber parroting the same tired rhetoric about entitlement programs.

    Where are the bold proposals about the following:
    1) Out of control foreign aid expenditures – plus too many military bases abroad
    2) Farm and oil subsidies
    3) Tax loopholes for the super wealthy and their corporations, which if eliminated could allow the U.S. to consider a lower corporate tax rate keeping jobs in America
    4) Expedite reduction in the crippling expenditures in Iraq and Afghanistan
    5) And perhaps boldest of all, how about a 3%-5% reduction in all of government with few exceptions. Every single department should have to trim their budgets/staffs just like corporations resort to when they face financial hardship.

    Perhaps some of our critics overseas have it exactly right. Americans (especially the decision makers) are weak. They are too concerned with alienating special interest groups while the deficit continues to languish in unprecedented chaos at the hands of weak-kneed politicians in both major parties. There are simply too many cowardly members in congress with too few bold solutions.

    Here is a guy with some common sense!

  • Barack Must Go

    Michael_T said:
    These politicians continue to nibble at the edges with their pledges of increasing the retirement age and means testing for the Social Security COLA.

    Why doesn’t the Tea Party and/or liberal groups hold their feet to the fire? Instead what we have is a big echo chamber parroting the same tired rhetoric about entitlement programs.

    Where are the bold proposals about the following:
    1) Out of control foreign aid expenditures – plus too many military bases abroad
    2) Farm and oil subsidies
    3) Tax loopholes for the super wealthy and their corporations, which if eliminated could allow the U.S. to consider a lower corporate tax rate keeping jobs in America
    4) Expedite reduction in the crippling expenditures in Iraq and Afghanistan
    5) And perhaps boldest of all, how about a 3%-5% reduction in all of government with few exceptions. Every single department should have to trim their budgets/staffs just like corporations resort to when they face financial hardship.

    Perhaps some of our critics overseas have it exactly right. Americans (especially the decision makers) are weak. They are too concerned with alienating special interest groups while the deficit continues to languish in unprecedented chaos at the hands of weak-kneed politicians in both major parties. There are simply too many cowardly members in congress with too few bold solutions.

    You left out ending the cycle of despair in the ghettos acroos this country of producing generation after generation of Federal prisoners without suffering any consequence. In fact under the current Obama ” reparations ” regime this degenerate pattern of behavior is not only further rewarded, those engaging in it are told it’s the rich white man’s fault their lives suck.

  • OZ

    CAconservative said:
    uggugg:

    What you are describing is exactly what we don’t need. There has always been a discrepancy between rich and poor in a free market society. That’s not the problem. The problem is this governments willingness to steal from those that work and give it to an ever increasing base of underachieving parasites who are more than willing to take entitlements (welfare) instead of taking responsibility for themselves. That is, and never was the responsibility of this government. The government role is to make sure there is a legal, and level playing field for all who wish to create. What we are seeing with Obimbo’s administration is outright theft of the fruits of one’s labor and give it to their voting base of bottom-feeders who don’t pay into anything! All this administration has done is to hold down entrepreneurship by ever increasing taxes and regulations. Remove the “incentive” to create and produce for personal gain, and what you are left with is a stagnate society doomed to fail.

    You see this is what happens if you only have half a brain. I agree with a lot of your premise, about freeloaders. But to imply that all members of society, that need assistance, once in awhile, are freeloaders, is simply ignorant. However, you only give one half of the argument. And Conservatives are notorious for that. The other side of the strory is the exploitation of those individuals, in non-power positions. Wouldn’t be grand if we lived in a perfect world? I have never been against anyone working hard and making as much money as they possibly can. But I do have a problem with those that “fix” the system. Those who eschew the basic moral precepts of human decency. In our current “Free Market” system, the “Golden Rule” is… “Increase the ‘bottom line’, by any means possible”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if large corporations didn’t buy Congressmen, in order to have laws passed, that give them unfair advantages, over the very people they employ? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if large corporations cared about the U.S. economy, over their own selfish interests, and kept jobs here at home? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if industries like Oil, Insurance and Pharmecutical, cared about their customers, instead of their “bottom line”? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in a perfect world? But reality negates all the “Wouldn’t it be wonderfuls”. You talk of “Fairy Tales”, like government’s role is to provide a “level playing field”. Wake the f*** up. The government has been used by large industries to tilt the playing field, in their favor. You really should study what the government has done in the last 11 years, that led us to the 2008 market collapse. Congress, with the Bush administration’s blessing, removed laws that were designed to hold Wall Street in check. Laws that were designed to prevent situations, like the 2008 market collapse. Laws that prevented derivitives. In your delusional ranting you accuse the Obama administration of holding back the ecomomy, by raising taxes. You’ve obviously been brain washed, by some very ignorant people. There have been no tax increases, during the Obama administration. Obama is currently proposing to end the Bush tax cuts and return to the tax levels, of the Clinton administration. However, that has not yet occurred. So exactly how can something that has yet to occur, affect something that has already occurred? Sounds like “voo-doo” economics.

    One last thing, you act as if the Obama administration created “entitlement” programs. And that these “entitlement” programs are somehow holding the U.S. economy, in check. Which “entitlement’ programs are you referring to, specifically? And while I am fairly sure you don’t fall into the category of the upper ten percent, economically, somehow you feel you are being stifled, economically. If only you didn’t have to receive your tax refund each year, you would somehow be right up there with Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. If only the government didn’t tax your minimum wage paycheck you could purchase your own Lear jet and eat lunch in Paris everyday. I know it’s hell and the government is preventing you from becoming Forbes magazine, Man of the Year. I wonder how the “Other Half” is doing?

  • hgarner2000

    Obama may be a socialist, but he’s isn’t any more socialist than any of the other Reuplican Presidents…oops…that didn’t come out right… As for Tim Pawlenty, he’s strong on education, but he’s clueless about the debt. Hmm, maybe that’ll make it easier for the government to confiscate all our retirement accounts when it comes time to pay off the principal.

  • eingriff

    Any doofus can go to Washington, and many a doofus has. Will Pawlenty be a doofus who doesn’t?

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