Pawlenty is In...maybe

On this day, Tim Pawlenty has announced his bid to file an exploratory committee to seek the Republican nomination in 2012, announcing it on Facebook (sort of like some other possible 2012 nominee who makes effective use of Facebook)



A two term former governor of Minnesota, Pawlenty is noted as a fairly consistent Conservative who was able to win two statewide elections in Minnesota, a state with a strong Democrat history. It's early in the game, but Pawlenty will have some questions surrounding him.

- Name recognition: For those who don't regularly watch Fox News or follow politics outside their geographic area, the common response would be: "Who?" Pawlenty deeply suffers from a lack of name recognition and in 2012, that could pose a challenge. As stated by Rammesh Ponnuru's (National Review), his ability to make himself known to the voters will make or break his campaign.

- Cap and Trade: As governor in 2007, Pawlenty shepherded the "Next Generation Energy Act" through the Minnesota legislature, which included a regional cap and trade system. Today, Pawlenty is against Cap and Trade in Congress. This flip-flop makes Republicans and Conservatives wonder which side of the flip-flop is his reality.

- Sharia Law: As governor in 2009, Pawlenty allowed the Minnesota Housing Authority to grant Muslims mortgages that follow Sha'ria Law, which forbids the charging or paying of interest. This will receive even more scrutiny by Republican and Conservative voters.

Tim Pawlenty really needs to break out and get ahead of the crowd if he wants to win the primary. He should define himself, not his opponents or the media. Defining himself and being open gets Pawlenty ahead of any attacks that may take place or questions asked. If he does not work on name recognition, his campaign will be done in by the Sharia mortgages he allowed, as that incident going unanswered has the potential to define him, which will do his campaign in.

In summation, Tim Pawlenty has an uphill battle ahead of him if he wants to get the nomination.