VP or not VP: Pawlenty ‘hit a homerun’ at Connecticut GOP shindig

Gov. Tim Pawlenty was in Connecticut over the weekend as the featured speaker at the Prescott Bush Awards Dinner. The keynote slot is a coveted pulpit for those looking to burnish their reputation with GOP bigwigs. Last year Sen. Fred Thompson, who was then flirting with a presidential run, was the headliner.

So how did Pawlenty impress the crowd of roughly 500 Republican swells at the Stamford Sheraton Hotel? According to John Gizzi, political editor of the conservative newspaper Human Events, T-Paw was a big hit.

This year, no one had great expectations for Pawlenty–in large part because he is only now becoming known in national party circles.  Yet the early verdict was that Pawlenty hit a home run with his upbeat message, spiced with quotes from Will Rogers, Martin Luther King, and columnist Tom (The World Is Flat) Friedman. Even Republicans at the dinner I spoke to who voiced preferences for other vice presidential hopefuls made it clear that they had no objection to Pawlenty on the second spot with McCain.

Pawlenty also drew plaudits for his performance from Connecticut GOP blog The Everyday Republican:

Minnesota Governor and frequently-mentioned possibility for Vice President Tim Pawlenty wowed the crowd of more than 500 Republicans at the 30th Annual Prescott Bush Awards Dinner.  The engaging young Governor mixed humor, forceful advocacy for his policy views, and homespun wisdom throughout his 15 minute address.  Attendees left the event pleasantly surprised by the Minnesotan, with many commenting that they had not previously heard of Pawlenty, but that he was engaging and very interesting.

Which raises an interesting question: what kind of ignorant Republican insider hasn’t heard of Pawlenty at this point?