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PORTAGE, Mich. -- It's possible that Tim Pawlenty is days from stepping onto a stage before thousands of cheering supporters as Mitt Romney's newly-minted running mate. But you wouldn't know it from his swing through central Michigan on Wednesday, where the former governor appeared at nondescript campaign offices and addressed just dozens of supporters as they snacked on cookies and lemonade.
"Mitt Romney didn't spend his entire life in government," Pawlenty said to a small group of GOP devotees in Jackson. "He knows how to get jobs going."
Who will Mitt Romney pick as his running mate? NBC's Claire Leka reports.
Even after dutifully delivering laugh lines – like calling the president "all foam and no beer" – Pawlenty didn't escape "veep" speculation from his audience, with one supporter in Jackson asking him if he'll return to the state as vice president.
"I've been back to Michigan a fair amount," he demurred. "But as to the vice presidential thing, we'll know soon enough."
Devoid of the camera platforms and elaborate sound systems typically on hand for political celebrities' events, Pawlenty's appearances showed him to be anything but a campaign diva. When the fold-up table he was supposed to sit behind in Portage was in the wrong place, he helped to carry it to a more suitable spot. When a portable microphone in Jackson proved too loud for backers' ears, he ditched it over the complaints of reporters eager to record his every word.
"We don't want them to get the sound!" he joked to the crowd.
The trip, which involved an early morning flight to the Great Lake State and several hours of trekking in an SUV driven by an aide, showed Pawlenty's talents as an approachable and disciplined pol even as national reporters dogged him with questions about the vice presidential selection process.
Is he stopping by Romney's Boston headquarters on his way to his scheduled New Hampshire events this weekend?
"I'm flying into Boston and then traveling immediately up to New Hampshire to start [my] schedule."
Will he be meeting VP selection guru Beth Myers?
"We have a policy, the campaign just doesn't talk about the vice presidential vetting process."
How's the process going?
He rattled off the names of GOP up-and-comers, scattering in other possible Romney running mates including women and minorities breathing new life into the GOP: Susanna Martinez, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Nikki Haley, Bob McDonnell, Chris Christie, Rob Portman and Paul Ryan.
"And David Petraeus," he added, perhaps a sly nod to a flurry of speculation that surrounded a now-debunked story on the Drudge Report that the CIA director was in the running for the job.
Jim Cole / AP
Widely regarded as one of the Romney campaign's most loyal surrogates, Pawlenty insisted Wednesday that there's no job title that motivates his determined campaigning on behalf of a man he once fought against for the GOP nod.
"The objective here isn't about a position or about some title for any of the candidates or the people trying to help. We are trying to get the country back on the right track," he said. "For me that's meant doing things like this as a volunteer where I can go out and speak on Gov. Romney's behalf in places where he can't be."
And many of those places aren't glitzy, politically or economically. In past years, Jackson has suffered a poverty rate twice that of Michigan as a whole. The Kalamazoo area clocked in for an Obama win of 20 points in 2008.
As Pawlenty wrapped up a brief stop at a strip-mall campaign office in Portage, his possible second-in-command competitor Sen. Rob Portman was wrapping up an (albeit smaller) event outside of Mile High Stadium in hotly-contested Colorado.
Still, the former governor of Minnesota has one psychological advantage that possible running mates Portman and Paul Ryan lack -- the experience of going through the lengthy vetting process only to be greeted with a "thanks but no thanks."
"In 2008, I was on some speculators' list as John McCain's selection for VP," he told reporters. "It's an honor to be considered. It's an honor for anyone to be considered, but also it has some deja vu qualities since I've been through it before."
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If Tim Pawlenty is the VP pick it would confirm my prediction that Romney's ego wouldn't allow him to pick somebody that outshines himself, that it would be such a boring pick that all of America would collectively shrug their shoulders and say "Eh."
Kind of like Obama's Biden choice .... "LOL"
I wonder if ben knows I have him on ignore? I can see that he's said something, but I'd have to actually make an effort to see what it is, and ben just isn't worth any effort. I had to put him on ignore, the guy is completely retarded. I mean "retarded" in the most literal sense possible. Like short bus, bicycle helmet, limp wristed chest banging retarded.
"LOL"
I'll bet you ignore your bills when they come in the mail also .... "LOL"
That's such a cute little Etch-A-Sketch ....
But it would have to be about 5 feet wide to write Obama's massive debt on it .... "LOL"
Ahhhh..... little big ben on "ignore"
It truly is so....... relaxing.....
You probably ignore your bills also when they come in the mail .... "LOL"
I wish we could ignore Obama's massive debt and deficit .... "LOL"
I'm really not even here .... "LOL"
And it's only a dream .... "LOL"
~Republican strategist Mark McKinnon, according to Politico
Obama's poll numbers are tanking now .... "LOL"
The funny thing is he keeps posting and I have no idea what he's saying. I did say that he's mentally retarded, right?
Nooooooooo!
~Rick Santorum, Detroit, Michigan, February 2012
Romney was powerful not even being president huh .... "LOL"
Does anyone know how high Obama's already record high debt went up to today .... ??
Anyone .... "LOL"
Hey Ben...What's up?
Hey iloveusa4 ....
Just browsing some science threads ....
How's everything .... ??
Just remember ( you did not make that) !!!
And the private sector is doing fine .... "LOL"
~Louie Gohmert, Republican conference, April 2012
Is Obama packing up already .... "LOL"
Seriously,.. after the historic bible spice selection... anything , is a step in the right direction for willard..
T Paw... seriously. what news publications do you read...????
I'm seeing problems already....
~Rick Santorum, CNN, March 2012
Adios , Obamos .... "LOL"
dont understand virginia going dem when obama will 2nd term kill coal mining,,aka 70% of the electric cars lol
~Colin Powell, MSNBC, May 2012
Obama out in 2012
Easy win for Mitt ....
Easy ....
I don't know what you've been told about Virginia, but we have almost no coal mining here at all. You must be thinking of West Virginia. It's a totally different state. Also, our most heavily populated areas are mostly Democratic (my uncle is the former Democratic leader of the VA House of Delegates) like Northern VA, Tidewater (VA Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake), Richmond, Charlottesville and Williamsburg. The only populated area that's right-wing in VA is Lynchburg and that's mostly because of the Falwell influence.
What a Hoot! Pawlenty made it all of about 3 weeks into the GOP primaries and he still thinks he has a voice in that pittiful misguided party.
~Rick Santorum, Rockford, Illinois, March 2012
Obama out in 2012 ....
He's done .... "LOL"
so what is miss guided i ask??
Mr. guided's girl friend ....
~Rick Santorum, ABC, March 2012
Obama's getting the boot ....
Hehe gotcha big ben maybye they scared of the truth!!! lol
Who .... ??
~Sarah Palin, Hannity, January 2012
You even know Obama's getting the boot .... "LOL"
Ben what do you really know about anything? Your state gave Sarah to the world. nuff said
to bruce sorry dont matter,, birth cert was a fake and college transcripts,,which barry paid $4 million to hide will show he was a foriegn exchange student aka not eligible...all i ask is trust but verify...
No one really wants Obama anymore ....
jsmith12, You really need to enlarge your circle of friends and acquaintances, because apparently the ones you have now are only feeding you LIES.
here, please educate yourself on the truth okay?
Obama Birth Certificate lie
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/birthcertificate.asp
Obama Foreign Exchange student lie
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/occidental.asp
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/studentid.asp
If condi rice would go vp its all but done shes my hero
We elected Obama and look where we are now. Not where he said we would be thats for certain. I can hardly wait for another four years of record deficits and end up like the euros. It's simple economics folks, you can't sustain the present level of deficit spending without the country going bankrupt. Those who vote for Obama are going to get what they deserve, riots in the streets when the government entitlements run out. The smart ones are arming themselves right now.
Perhaps he was a bit optimistic, but nobody could have predicted the Republican obstructionism that's kept a lot of good legislation that could have helped from ever seeing the light of day. It's been their stated purpose to keep President Obama from being reelected. Thankfully, on that front, they have failed. Obama has the electoral votes he needs to win and Romney has no viable path to 270.
Also, be careful what you say about arming yourself on here, especially after what that right-wing nut job skin head did to those innocent Sikh Americans. You should know that the web host does track your IP address. They know who you are and where you live.
Actually if you listen to Obama's acceptance speech in 2008 he clearly stated in the very beginning that we may not repair the economy in one term but we will get there. Had the treasonist republicans not obstructed the path to prosperity for their own selfish reason, we would have gotten there. But President Obama anticipated their treachery so he did not allow the American People to be fooled. A second Obama turn will fix the economy followed by President Hillary Clinton and the Gaseous Old Pharts party will be but a bad memory in American history.
So we elect a person to show we are not racist...give him a second term cause were stupid??
No we elected a person who was not from the Gaseous Old Pharts' party that almost drove us off of a cliff. His race had nothing to do with the choice. The American people knew that a Bush 3 term (McCain) would be certain disaster for America.
But one thing was proven J Smith, racism is alive and well in America because rednecks like you have been out in force since Nov 2008. Your heads are really going to explode when President Obama is reelected in November. Get you some exlax, metamucil and lentil beans because that is going to stop you up for a month.
i voted obama and he has let us down but if voted republican they would have shafted us. republicans even tell us they are going to rob us but they will trickle it back lol
republicans like pinatas they give back but you have to beat them with a stick
The biggest complaint from most who voted for Obama, myself included, is that he's been too "middle of the road." He's made too many concessions to the right. We could have had a full single payor healthcare system and done away with insurance companies all together, but instead, because Obama allowed Republicans to have a say (which was completely unnecessary) we got this giveaway to insurance companies.
The good news is that it doesn't matter who Romney picks, they will lose. Obama's poll numbers keep getting better and better. Most pollsters are ready switch Ohio from the "tossup" category to the "Leans Obama" category. With Ohio and Wisconsin looking to be Obama's, he would be over the 270 mark, and thus, essentially guaranteed a second term. Is awesome that Obama is doing so well that at this point, it doesn't even matter what happens in Florida as he no longer needs it to win (although, it is worth noting that Obama still leads in Florida and Virginia, but at this point, they're just icing on the cake.)
VADemo, Don't know if you saw my actual real prediction on the VP pick, but many weeks ago I predicted that Romney will choose YOUR Governor Bob McDonnell.
And I believe the fact that he was not included in the so-called "final three" gives even more credence to my prediction.
Let me ask you: Are you willing to give up your Governor Bob, to be Mitt's Veep?
No way he picks Bob "Vaginal Probe" McDonnell. Too much dirty laundry, also polls have shown that picking McDonnell wouldn't help Romney gain one single vote in VA, so there's no advantage to picking him. Obama looks to be in position to win VA for the second time. Of course, it's worth noting that no incumbent president as ever lost Virginia after having won it in the previous election.
Well VADemo, you are much closer to that situation than I am, but I still kind of think Bob McD is going to get the Veep nod. And you never really know with the Repubs do you. I mean, who would have ever guessed McCain would have selected Sarah Palin OVER Mitt Romney in 2008.
Wait!
McCain chose Sarah Palin for Vice President instead of Mitt Romney!
That being the case, when Mitt couldn't even get chosen for Vice President by his own party, then
Why should the whole nation choose him as President, when he's already a LOSER for second place?
Obama = welfare up economics...make everybody rely on government,, if you are old enough to remember bread lines in U.S.S.R coming soon to your town
Bread lines? Really? Going a little far with the scare tactics aren't we? Honestly, it shows just how desperate and pathetic the right-wing loonies are. Didn't you get the memo? Due to Republicans being wrong about all previous predictions of DOOOOOOM and GLOOOOM, the scare tactics don't work anymore.
Hehe all it takes is 50% + 1,,, when the takers out number the givers what happens?? by the way it does not take a degree to figure it out
Wow, not only do you not know anything about Virginia, but you seem to know nothing about our electoral system either. What it takes is 270 electoral votes, which Obama has pretty much secured with his leads in Wisconsin and Ohio that are now outside the margin of error, and no longer "tossups" but rather sit now in the "leans Obama" category.
I saw on the Newshour where Romney actually released 23 years of tax returns to John McCain's campaign staff. They took one look, and chose Sarah Palin...what does that tell you? What's really funny about the Repiblicans is they like to tell you how President Obama isn't really an American. But Romney's the one with the Swiss bank account, and offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands...what could be more American than that?
tax me once you got me ,,,tax me twice im not smart finacially??
bush murdered a few bush spent a few bush ruined our economy, them obama took over and has worked 4 years trying to fix all the mistakes. bad obama
yep guess you are right i know nothing. you still passing out at obama concerts?
Another thing you clearly do not know is how to reply to a post in a single thread.
As for your lack of knowledge about our presidential election process, had you not slept through 8th grade Civics class, thinking, most likely, that it was a class about Japanese cars, you would know how the Electoral College works.
and while u were being brain washed i was defending the right for u to be brianwashed lol
Incorrect. Never once in my lifetime (33.5 years) has my freedom been at stake. How dare you insult the memory of our troops by suggesting that they died for something that they clearly did not. Were my rights at stake in Vietnam? Of course not. Were my rights at stake in Korea, Iraq or Afghanistan? Of course not. When I served (Army, 12B Combat Engineer) we recognized one simple truth, we fought for our country, not our freedom.
Where's the manhood of being so coy with the public to whom you want to demonstrate leadership? I don't know what's worse-- Pawlenty's caving in to Romney during the debates in the wimpiest moment in its history, or Romney playing cute as he tries to figure out who will help him win, not help him lead. MAN UP for God's sake and announce a decision, and be able to justify it!
ok rocket boy if 51% take and 49% give duhhh.. and that is way off
What are you talking about? Looks like you got slapped silly with the stupid stick. Also, please, learn how to reply directly to a single thread instead of starting a new one every time you have a response. You see, in the bottom right hand corner of this post is a little button you can click, it says "REPLY." Are these new-fangled computer contraptions just too much for you?
Not an issue if i spent everyday at home waiting for the handout check??? But i have to work to make sure u under priviledged can get those checks
As do most of us. You think you're the only one? The vast majority of us work hard for a living, but we understand that not everyone gets the same opportunities that we do and not everyone is gifted with the good health we have. You see, there are those of us who actually give a f*ck about our fellow Americans. Then there's selfish douche-bags like you who complain about helping the poor, disadvantaged and disabled. I bet you're a "Christian" too. That would explain why you are so selfish.
jsmith12, just face it, you are a bad person, and I will always be here to show everyone who reads it just how horrible of a human being you are and just how unAmerican you are. For shame!
yep truth sucks
Actually jsmith12, lies suck.
You really need to enlarge your circle of friends and acquaintances, because apparently the ones you have now are only feeding you LIES.
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32
here, please educate yourself on the truth okay?
Obama Birth Certificate lie
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/birthcertificate.asp
Obama Foreign Exchange student lie
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/occidental.asp
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/studentid.asp