“[CNN moderator] John King wanted more of an intra-party squabble between all the candidates,” says Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant, referring to King’s pointed questioning about the Obamneycare term. “But we really came to this debate with our focus on Obama and wanting to make the case that Governor Pawlenty had the experience vision and record to be able to compete with President Obama and beat President Obama.”
But that doesn’t mean that the Obamneycare mention on Fox News Sunday was the last of Pawlenty’s efforts to distinguish his record from Romney’s.
“There are real policy differences,” Conant says. “Governor Romney thinks the individual mandate was a good idea. Governor Pawlenty doesn’t.”
So a Republican Primary Debate was the place to present a united front against Obama instead of going after your opponent? But it's ok to go after him on an interview? Now that's some spin.
I agree that Pawlenty would have gotten headlines by standing up to Romney on Romneycare. But attacking Romney in interviews and backing down and trying to weasel out of his previous remarks in the debate looks much worse. I don't think anyone would have had a problem with criticizing Romney for Romneycare instead of letting him get away with his nonsense distinctions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePlain and simple, Pawlenty pussed out. You don't escalate on Sunday and back off on Monday. He's a good guy, but not a winner.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBingo! I was not impressed. If Pawlenty won't give Romney a hard time in the debate, what makes me think he'll push Obama?
Pawlenty shrunk a little tonight, in my opinion.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYeah, okay. I'm a little dizzy from the spin. Pawlenty lost me on that answer - his first of the night, I think. If you can't confront Romney face to face, you shouldn't have talked behind his back just yesterday. TPaw needs a spine.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRegardless of how you feel about Romney, Pawlenty pretty much blew up tonight with his timidity. I honestly couldn't believe how he dropped what was pretty much a giveaway softball question.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTimid Tim needs to eat some nails for pre-debate meals. There should be goin shots of ObamenyCare.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWho does this guy think he's kidding? Pawlenty was given a golden opportunity to go after Romney's plan and he wimped out pure & simple.
Where was that "gritty St. Paul" I heard about in about a million of his book commercials?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI didn't watch the debate, but just watched this portion on the replay.. I think it is being overblown. I think he repeated his assertion from Fox News Sunday that Obama modeled his plan after Romneycare. Probably should have been more aggressive. Romney had a very strong response though by going after Obama. Romney wins the points, but I do not think this was a knock out blow.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Governor Romney thinks the individual mandate was a good idea. Governor Pawlenty doesn’t."
It will be very hard for Pawlenty to impress Our Base with Romney bashing anyhow. Pawlenty has quite a moderate background as well - somethings are quite glaring. TPAW is a good man, a proven CEO, a welcome candidate, and a potential serious President. However, the way Conant is going to try to phrase this, ignores the big difference with the Federal vs. the States issue (which is hardly honest or fair). Besides, this issue even confused the fine Mrs. Bachmann this evening when discussing 'gay' unions and marriage.
Also, we know Pawlenty not only entertained the 'mandate' a little while ago, he was also talking about Cap and Trade schemes. His claims about reforming health care in his own State seem to be more political fodder for this Campaign, than substantive reality.
But the biggest reason why I think this is a poor political venture, to try to take down Romney on this State effort (which I did not support), most Americans are really worried about the economy. Many who support Republicans will grow disgusted seeing us destroy each other, only to enable the worst yet again.
Pawlenty has plenty to run on, as a sound alternative to Romney and others in a constructive manner. Conant and Company should be careful. The GOP field looks very strong together. No doubt a healthy debate is welcome.
Regardless, tonight was a real positive, for even CNN was forced to deal with the enormous focus of Americans - the disastrous Democratic Partisan ECONOMY. Jobs, security, inflation, investment, ownership, real estate, etc., are the big focus. The Democrats are in deep trouble, their only hope is another divide on Our side - or similar Delaware debacles.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI expected nothing less from the milquetoast minnesota moderate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePawlenty had that pre-written line Sunday...but nobody bothered to write any follow-ups. This is the equivalent of the guy in the pickup basketball game who makes a decent layup, then stands at that end of the court smiling and patting himself on the back for his move while the game goes on down to the other end and he's nowhere to be found on defense, resulting in an easy shot made by the other guys and his "brilliant" moment being utterly nullified.
Nice man. Good gov they tell me (but I still, watching closely, know next to ZIP about his actual results record ) but a lousy, milquetoast, non-enthusiasm-generating candidate. Next?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo T Paw smartly announces that he won't go saying Obamneycare to Romney's face, and then the liberal media of course forces him to do so, and then T Paw freezes. Genius. He didn't expect them to go after him on that? Who's running his campaign?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat's about as pathetic of a reason to not speak what you believe as I've ever heard. It is very disturbing that, if this Pawlenty spokesperson is characterizing their strategy in the NH debate correctly, TPaw would cave in so easily to John King and CNN.
If forced to, I will vote for Romney over Obama, but he would be an awful choice as the GOP nominee. And if TPaw is too cowardly to take him on, then I guess we have to hope for long shots like Bachmann or Palin, or prey that Rick Perry will enter the race. I couldn't have been more disappointed with Pawlenty.
I despise Trump's phony candidacy (he would actually govern almost as liberal as Obama in office), but some of these candidates need to take a lesson from the Donald and grow a backbone.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFor heaven's sake, it is 17 months till the election. What we need to do now is introduce a field of bright reasonable, competent candidates to the public and show them to be in agreement that Obama's policies have been disasterous. Give that info some time to sink in with the electorate before confusing them with specific policies. Only then can the candidates really begin to differentiation their positions. Obama is counting on Republicans to feed their own to the crocodile and leave him as the last man standing. There are reachable voters out there who have fallen for a lot of the MSM charicatures of conservative voters. They feel the problems caused by Obama, but they can't quite go to the other side just yet. Wewill need these votes to win.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePawlenty could have kept the fire on Obama more strongly by saying, "I emphasize these differences with Governor Romney because we need a candidate who can draw a sharp contrast to President Obama on Obamacare - not one who is compromised on the issues." But Pawlenty missed an opportunity, and this was disappointing.
The effort to repeal and defund Obamacare will be a central 2012 campaign issue. The GOP needs a presidential candidate in 2012 who can persuasively, articulately, and effectively lead the effort to repeal Obamacare. We need a candidate whose candidacy would convincingly embody the citizens' opposition to government-run healthcare.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCaricature. My mind was somewhere else. Sorry.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"That's about as pathetic of a reason to not speak what you believe as I've ever heard. It is very disturbing that, if this Pawlenty spokesperson is characterizing their strategy in the NH debate correctly, TPaw would cave in so easily to John King and CNN."
Ned's obviously in the majority here, which puts me in the minority. Neither Romney nor T-Paw are my favorite. But I just don't get it. Pawlenty did not back down. He didn't retract. He explained -- with full candor -- that he made his "Obamney" crack because of the similarities between the two health care plans. What else was he supposed to do? What magic is there in speaking the word "Obamneycare" on the debate stage? I didn't bat an eye when I heard him give his answer; it seemed in keeping with the very welcome sober, reflective tone of the whole debate. And I was totally confused afterwards when the CNN folks made such a stink about it. And I'm still confused. Again, T-Paw isn't my favorite at all, but what exactly was he supposed to do?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseActually, Pawlenty took the higher road.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRomney is a good and viable candidate and he did not see the benefit in playing into CNN's prescribed hand of dividing the GOP field of candidates on national TV for all to see.
I, for one, am ecstatic at the poise and maturity the candidates showed each other last night.
I think they don't have to play into the hands of children in the playground who want to see the fight instead of doing what's ideal.
They where articulate and gracious w/ each other and that was exactly the best thing to do.
Obama has no record to defend which means he is highly depended upon the propaganda machine attacking, relabeling, redefining our candidiates for us.
Don't fall for it! It is not about us it is about removing Obama at all costs!
Let's start moderating our own debates!
Speak no ill of any fellow Republican
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse... Ronald Reagan
Some of you guys need to switch to decaf.
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