Tim Pawlenty: No more Mr. Nice Guy (*yawn*)

(Reuters) - No one will accuse Republican Tim Pawlenty of being too nice anymore.

Two days before an Iowa straw poll that is a critical test for his lagging presidential campaign, Pawlenty dropped his nice-guy image in Thursday's debate and sharply criticized rival Michele Bachmann for a lack of accomplishment.

Pawlenty, trailing Bachmann in Republican 2012 presidential polls and battling her for the same conservative voters, took a calculated risk that he needed to shed his mild-mannered approach and play rough if he wanted to make up ground in Iowa.

But he did not always look comfortable in the attack dog role, and several commentators panned his performance as unconvincing.

"Is she unqualified or is she just beating you in the polls?" Fox News moderator Chris Wallace asked Pawlenty.

Whether his newfound aggressiveness impressed voters will become evident on Saturday with the results of the non-binding straw poll, a mock election that is a traditional test of campaign strength in Iowa.

"He showed some backbone in taking on Bachmann, and he could get some credit for that," said Donna Hoffman of Northern Iowa University. "But I'm not sure how many minds he changed."

The point is: Pawlenty did a very contrived “hard-ass” act on Bachmann. He must’ve felt the need to go home and take a two-hour shower afterward. The whole charade looked ridiculous, and reminded me of myself 20 years ago.

I was coaching high school baseball. My team was in an early-season tournament. We were playing a ridiculously lousy team — and in the 5th inning, we were stinking up the field — and losing to a ridiculously lousy team.
I am normally a cerebral, George Will, Tony LaRusa kind of coach; but I decided that, if we wanted to stay out of the losers’ bracket, I needed to light a fire under the boys.

So, I started ranting and raving, completely out of character for me. The guys had never seen me like this. At first, they stared blankly. Then, they started to turn away, to avoid having me see them smirking and laughing while I was foaming at the mouth. I felt so stupid.

We went on to come from behind and win the game, finishing 3rd in the tournament.

But I never again tried to be anything but myself.

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