There’s just one problem with this, of course: Pawlenty “solved” this year’s deficit by leaving us with a deficit that will be four times as large in the next biennium. He’s going to have a tough time running on the fiscal responsibility platform when he’s left a fiscal disaster in his home state.
Preparing for a 2012 presidential run, Tim Pawlenty visited the Aspen Ideas festival. In an interview with The Atlantic, Pawlenty laid out his platform, which essentially boils down to “fiscal responsibility,” i.e. complaining about Federal spending and the deficit. (Click the link for video; I can’t make it embed properly)
Haha. New poll has TPaw running 11 points behind Obama in Minnesota.
Must be some of that fiscal conservatism DtM says Americans love so much.
T-Paw balanced the budget. He just didn’t do it in the way you wanted (by raising taxes). In fact, he solved the deficit singlehandedly.
I know that type of comment won’t make alot of fans here, but I am convinced Americans want fiscal responsibility. They are souring on the stimulus. They don’t want a second stimulus. And for the first time, Obama has a net negative approval rating (-7 on Rasmussen).
Americans aren’t dumb; they okay’d Obama to stimulate the economy, but expect results for that kind of price tag. It is a little like going to a fine restaurant vs. McDonalds. If a few of my fries at McDonalds are soggy, big deal. it was a $3 meal. If I’m paying $50 for a meal and tip at a fine restaurant, I’m going to be much more demanding that my food and experience is worth it.
For $850 billion, we have every right to be demanding on Obama. If there are signs that this money was wasted, or a portion of it was, he will be vulnerable in 2012. He was insistent that we do it, and we did it. Okay, Mr. President, now we’ll need to start seeing some results.
You’re comparing the strongly approve and strongly disapprove ratings on Rasmussen. As a total approval rating, Obama actually has a net positive (+3 from that same Rasmussen poll)
Well, dan never let a lie stay behind his lips.
Thank you for clarifying, Martin. You’re right. Obama is +3%.
My mistake. Just sorry I couldn’t own up to it before lojasmo felt the compulsive need to snipe.
lojasmo has a compulsive need to snipe only because you are a compulsive liar.
Classy, very classy.
Obama made it clear that the stimulus would be effective over a period of two years. Those expecting to see marked results this early are stupid or lying sacks of shit. where do you fit in?
Or believed the numbers that he used to sell us the stimulus.
Pawlenty’s the one with the net disapproval rating.
DantheMan, your dishonesty is only exceeded by your complete lack of understanding of what happened. Pawlenty did not solve anything. He chose the most irresponsible route possible to get this done.
T-Paw balanced the budget in the same sense that I’ve solved my debt problems by telling creditors that I’ll send them a check next week. Yes, it quiets things down for awhile, but sooner or later, it’s all going to start up again.
T-Paw’s best hope is a combination of the short attention span of the AMerican voter, the media’s general lack of concern for details, and the public’s general disinterest in anything not happening to them, personally, right now. Taken together, those three give him a shot at the nomination. It’s a shame — not because I wish him ill, but because it goes against my grain to reward such lamentable performance with a chance for a higher office.
Shorter Dan… “Hang that bastard in the Whitehouse… its’ been four whole months and the economy is not firing on all cylinders.”
Interesting Saturday video from Obama… to paraphrase… “I told you it was going to take time so let this thing work. It took how long for those Bozoes before me to muck it up… On top of it I am doing this in a serious manner to make sure it isn’t pork and waste.
(silent thinking… “Would those Republicans at least offer a suggestion of a whiff of an idea of a solution instead of just whining about it and screaming “socialism.” The rest of the country is trying to solve this… Why did I take this thankless jobs)
Gov. Pawlenty’s approach to balancing the budget is pure malfeasance. He did not uphold his duty to the Minnesota constitution and sign a set of bills that would balance the budget. His unallotment authority, by law, is to be used in cases of unexpected fiscal crisis. Pawlenty purposely created the “crisis” that he is using his authority to resolve via unallotment (if he actually does it - has he unallotted yet?).
Pawlenty is the kid playing in the sandbox who doesn’t get his way so he takes all his toys and goes home. I am hoping for a wiser, more mature and more humane governor in the not too distant future.
Repeat after me:
FEES are NOT TAXES, FEES are NOT TAXES.
TOMATOES ARE NOT VEGETABLES, The Sun does not rise in the EAST.
Not sure that makes for a platform.
Dan,
I’m sure they DO want fiscal responsibility, it’s just that we’ve yet to see a conservative, ANY conservative, provide it.
Reagan exploded the debt, as did Bush 43. Bush 41 was fiscally responsible, but he wasn’t a conservative.
TPAW didn’t solve for the debt, he pushed the debt onto local municipalities and pushed it off - that’s called borrowing, though it didn’t meet the technical definition of the state, it’s not as if we’d not look at it as a debt if it were our personal income. If we left 20,000 out of our budget and said we’d pay it in 2 years, it’s not like we dont HAVE that $20k debt, don’t have to pay it.
Dan - your comment that he balanced the budget is one of the least well-reasoned things you’ve said - you are normally much better than that.
Dan - just read the rest.. sorry.
First, Bush spent $700B without asking anyone. Obama didn’t really ask either, but he was elected with the premise and promise he was going to take action.
That said, YOU didn’t agree with him, so it’s not as if were part of the folks who agreed to ‘let’ him spend money on any stimulus. Frankly, I think the stimulus was window-dressing at best, a feel good measure to keep things from getting much worse. It may not improve things much at all. As well, I think you’re going to do everything in your power to hold him accountable in 2012 and you’d do so regardless of the success of the stimulus.
Either way, this is about Tpaw.
Pawlenty failed miserably to fix Minnesota’s budget problems but he still will be able to wage a national campaign casting little timmy as the sole fiscal conservative in a world of rabid tax and spenders. The accuracy of this casting is largely irrelevant and won’t be a factor in the GOP’s pick of it’s next nominee. What will be noticed is the strength of Pawlenty’s support in Minnesota. It won’t look good to the party faithful if Pawlenty does not garner at least 50% of his home state’s support.
Rasmussen’s Presidential Approval Index for Obama is now -7. That’s minus seven. In January is was +26.
We can talk about if stimulus will work or not all we want. As for Obama, it has to. If it doesn’t, he’s toast.
There’s an old saying in Middle Earth. If you and a hobbit are being chased by a dragon, you don’t need to outrun the dragon. You only need to outrun the hobbit. The GOP will not have a candidate taller then 4 feet and that candidate will have unusually large furry feet. Whenever I think of Sarah Palin, the name Lobelia (Bracegirdle) Sackville-Baggins, comes to mind. The creepy smile of Romney, reminds me of Ted Sandyman.
Are you Dwight from The Office?
I liken myself more to Chuck from Chuck then Dwight. Chuck’s got the smoking hot girl friend. That’s my wife, throughly dangerous and smoking hot.
Zing!
Is Tim Pawlenty Gollum?