The rapid demise of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty recalled the wisdom of Lincoln-via-Jesus: A house divided against itself can't stand.
Pawlenty sought above all to position himself as a pragmatic, results-oriented, problem-solving former executive of a blue state. But the more firmly-established former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney boasts the identical credential—this in addition to his private-sector experience.
So he tried to differentiate himself by outflanking Romney's right, first with a fumbling attack on the latter's healthcare record (the infamous "Obamneycare" contretemps) and next with a laugher of an economic proposal.
As my friend Amy Gardner of the Washington Post reports, Pawlenty's "Mr. Conservative" reboot was an utter flop: "It wasn't who he was, supporters said, and so he either came across forced or he hesitated so much that he left the opposite impression than he intended."
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