Unknown Pawlenty Has Uphill Battle For New Hampshire Hearts In 2012

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty may be attempting to win over New Hampshire voters as a probable contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, but after his debut appearance yesterday it seems he has more work to do.

He remains unknown, the Pioneer Press reports.

From that story’s top:

“Never heard of him,” said Patricia Goulet, of Concord, shopping for books at a local Border’s.

How about you, Susan Chabot, of Manchester? “No.”

He’s the governor of Minnesota. Ring a bell, Rich Audet, of Northfield? “Nope.”

Before Pawlenty embarked on his first trip to the crucial early primary battleground, Minnesota Democrats mocked him as abandoning the state with one year left in office.

But in town for a Senate Republican campaign fundraiser, he earned good headlines on the ground, mostly portraying him as sharply challenging President Obama and calling the health care bill a “liberal monstrosity.”

More reviews from his talk to a few hundred of the state’s key Republican activists who can make-or-break a campaign:

“New Hampshire is a proving ground,” said New Hampshire political consultant Joel Maiola, former chief of staff for the state’s senior U.S. senator, Republican Judd Gregg. “If you work hard at it, and from what I hear he’s a hard worker and a personable guy, he’ll be a good fit.”

On Twitter, he earned some wisecracks for recycling stories about Michael Jordan and his “hot” wife.

He also talked to the local press, telling the Union Leader he won’t get involved in primary campaigns even though he backed Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 race this fall over the GOP nominee.

From the story:

Pawlenty said he did so because local party bosses used an “incredibly flawed, insular, closed and unfair” process” to chose the nominee. And he said Scozzafava was far too liberal on key issues.

But Pawlenty said he will not endorse or have his PAC contribute to the campaigns of any candidates for the U.S. Senate or House who are in “open, transparent” primary campaigns, including the tough GOP Senate primary battle shaping up for 2010 in New Hampshire.

Late Update: The Pawlenty camp points out he earned a flattering front-page story in the influential Union-Leader and send over this account of their day in the Granite State.

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