Posted on 11/18/2004 9:49:18 PM PST by DaveDCMetro
Many have been pontificating on the ideal GOP ticket to hold the White House in 2008. I believe it is time for me to throw in my two cents. The closest thing Republicans have to a perfect presidential candidate for 2008 ironically can be found in the only state that Ronald Reagan didn't carry in his landslide of 1984: Minnesota. That once and future candidate --- MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Over the last few years, the GOP has seen what kind of candidate it takes to win nationally in the 21st Century. Unlike the old Republicanism of George HW Bush and Bob Dole, our current President Bush created a winning formula for Republicans by combining fiscal conservatism, domestic pragmatism, social traditionalism, and foreign policy hawkishness. Using this formula, President Bush received 61 million votes this month and is the first president in 16 years to win a majority of the popular vote. The next GOP nominee, then, should be a fellow Bush Republican, but one who has an easier time communicating with Americans in the big northern swing states that were all so close this time around.
Who is the ideal candidate? Besides being a Bush Republican, the nominee should be from the new battleground: the northern midwest. OH, IA, PA, MN, MI, and WI were all decided by 3 points or less this time around. If the GOP were able to field a regional candidate to close the deal in the Great Lakes region, we'd sweep the entire middle of the country, leaving Hillary with only the coasts and maybe the Democratic island of Illinois. It would also be beneficial for us to field a governor as our candidate, as most successful bids for the presidency are made by governors and not legislators. So who do we have that fits the bill?
Enter Tim Pawlenty. First elected to the governorship of MN in 2002, Pawlenty is a young, articulate Bush Republican who connects well with the purple state voters of the northern midwest while still encompassing the values of the red states in the South and the West. Pawlenty has legislative experience as well --- he spent some time in the MN legislature before running for governor. Bright and well-spoken, Pawlenty is a deficit hawk who doesn't raise taxes, a domestic pragmatist who will attract moderates with his concern for health care and transportation, and a cultural conservative. If Pawlenty can prove his worth by being reelected in 2006, and maybe by bringing the MN state senate along with him, he will be looking very good for 2008.
Pawlenty's sole liability is his lack of foriegn policy experience. In this War on Terror world, how can a young governor from Middle America expect to ride into DC without any notion as to how things work inside the Beltway. In order to remove those fears, Pawlenty will need a DC insider, preferably one who has gravitas, as his running mate. Giuliani or McCain would be ideal, but you then risk turning off certain elements of the GOP base. The best bet is Secr'y of State Condi Rice. She'd be the tough cop who'd show Pawlenty around the White House, he'd be the young, charismatic governor coming in from the midwest to reform Washington. Plus, Condi would help Republicans make further inroads into minority communities without fear from conservatives that she would be dictating social policy.
Pawlenty/Rice is the closest thing we've got to an ideal ticket in 2008. Let's run with it!
Pawlenta and Rice: great addition to any meal. :)
Sorry just had to say it. It's just a joke and don't mean to belittle my fellow republicans.
Pawlenty would be a tremendous candidate. He's my second choice behind Engler. I'd prefer that the VP slot isn't filled by a pro-abort however.
A governor anyway. It's a start.
An excellent ticket......Is Pawlenty good @ retail politics?
Roy Moore/Tom Tancredo for 2008.
>>Roy Moore/Tom Tancredo for 2008.
Excellent team.
Why didn't I think of it myself?
What's retail politics?
Rice is only a suggestion. Any DC insider with foreign policy gravitas will work.
BTW, it's interesting that you mentioned Engler. I lived in Michigan for 23 years and he was my governor for a number of them. He was a great governor, but doesn't have the personality to play nationally.
Great ticket, too bad the Republican party is too afraid to run a real conservative.
I've heard good things about Pawlenty but he will need to raise his profile in a serious way over the coming years. There are a number of well-known Republicans being talked about in 2008 and Pawlenty isn't yet a blip on the radar.
Wakey wakey sleepyhead, time to get up and smell the roses....
Don't take him away from us in MN yet!
He has some serious work to finish up here! ; )
Engler!!! He wouldn't even carry Michigan!
I'd be more open to Condi on a national ticket than Rudy. At least she is pro-2nd Amendment, with a strong academic and cabinet record to boot.
Ray Moore in 2008! What we need is Dolemite in the White House!
Yes! Pawlenty/Rice in 2008!! I've been trying to spread the Pawlenty for president word to whoever will listen in MN. Never thought of Rice, tho, good pick.
I liked Mitt Romney and Rudy for 2008.
We need to knock out that leftist Mark Dayton. Can't Pawlenty run against him?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.