Would picking Pawlenty hurt Romney?

[milhouse24]

With the reports that Rubio is not a finalist, it seems that Pawlenty has become the campaign insider choice.  It may seem that Pawlenty is a safe "do no harm" candidate. 

But is Pawlenty actually too safe and unknown? 

Does picking a virtually unknown Pawlenty actually hurt Romney and make him look weak? 

Is Pawlenty perceived as weak or does he have any strengths? 

Can Pawlenty help in midwest states and win them for Romney? 

Will people know how to say or spell Pawlenty? 

[milhouse24]

No harm: well, we talk about VP nominee, after all
This is just a media subject for 2 weeks: one around the picking, one around the vice-presidential debate.
On the contrary, T-Paw may indirectly counter-balances critics on Romney's poshness. And he is acceptable for social conservatives. And he is a Midwesterner, though I know he can't win Wisconsin by himself But, here again, he indirectly counterbalances Romney's both North-Eastern and Utah sides.
Pawlenty would only have a halo effect which will erase some of Romney's liabilities.
That's enough to pick a VP, honestly...

I think TPaw is a weak national candidate, a weak politician, and does not inspire strength or confidence to any voters.  He may be fine for the genteel Minnesotian, but is he the guy you want to go to war with in the nasty DC partisan bickering.  Biden is a strong voice and attack dog, Cheney is a strong, secure, attack dog; Gore was a strong confident advocate. 

I think a weak looking TPaw will make Romney look weak especially amongst the blue-collar white catholic union swing voters he needs to keep in the GOP.  It would hurt Romney in blue-collar ohio and virginia. 

Romney is not going to win this election by default because of a bad economy.  If he is going to win against Obama/Biden, he has to bring out the heavy artillery on all fronts, raise his A game to 110% and attack in the swing states and in political teardowns. 

[milhouse24]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/06/if-2012-2004-tim-pawlenty-would-make-perfect-john-edwards/53732/

There are a lot of similarities between TPaw and Edwards.  Both are young, preppish, nice guys who can't seem to win the needed votes. 

[milhouse24]

I agree with a Portman pick, just because he would make an excellent VP and strategically he helps in Ohio, a crucial state.  I get the contrast stuff brought up above, but I'm a little bemused by the interest in Pawlenty.  The party establishment clearly dislikes him, and the primary voters proved to be quite underwhelmed with him too.  Plus, even though Biden is a gaffe machine, I think Pawlenty would look bad on a debate stage next to Biden.

Polls show that Portman is not really all that useful in Ohio, actually.

That might be true now, but would Pawlenty help in Ohio, Virginia, or Florida?  Portman has some baggage, but he's a better debater and a respected government veteran.