Iowa Republicans think Pawlenty can go all the way in 2012

FAYETTE, IA — When Jim Kirkpatrick, chairman of the Fayette County Republican Central Committee, began to plan the organization’s spring fundraiser only one name was placed on his list for keynote speaker: Minnesota’s former governor, Tim Pawlenty.

“He’s the one I targeted,” Kirkpatrick told The Iowa Independent prior to Saturday night’s event. “This is our spring fundraiser, he was the candidate that I invited and I’m just delighted that we are going to have him here.”

Nodding to the 12 round tables and chairs that were already filling with guests, Kirkpatrick noted that these types of events are what make Iowa and New Hampshire unique in the presidential nominating process.

“This is retail politics,” he said and smiled. “Iowans want to look you in the eye, shake your hand and be able to ask their questions. I think that is no only important, but critical. Iowa and New Hampshire are the nation’s retail politics states. A lot of the other states are what I call the ‘fly-by states’ — Florida, Texas, California. [Those places are] where campaigns are won and lost with very few appearances and mostly media buys and marketing.”

Kathleen Appleby of Independence, Iowa, spoke to Pawlenty specifically to find out his stance on fiscal issues. Photo: Lynda Waddington, The Iowa Independent

Perhaps because such retail politicking has been a bit slower in this cycle than in 2008 — Pawlenty is the first 2012 potential candidate to appear on behalf of the Fayette County GOP this season — many Republicans attending the event drove from cities and towns one and two hours away. It goes without saying in Iowa that smaller events often provide the best opportunities for one-on-one contact with presidential candidates, and the Fayette venue proved to be no exception to that rule. Even as event organizers packed up food supplies and stacked up folding chairs, Pawlenty continued to slowly move around the room, taking time with every person who waited.

“He’s the candidate I feel could best represent the Republican Party because he is not totally tied up in the social issues. … It was wonderful to actually talk with someone that I think is going to be close to going all the way,” said Independence resident Kathleen Appleby, who drove about an hour so she could speak directly with Pawlenty about her fiscal concerns.

“When I spoke with him, I wanted to know if he was really going to attack these entitlement issues, if he was really going to go after what we have to go after — Social Security, Medicare especially — because we can’t solve our fiscal problems if we don’t,” Appleby confided.

She also wanted to know if the Pawlenty campaign had been reaching out to seniors who could serve as spokespersons on these issues.

“As a senior [citizen], there is credibility on this topic — especially if you are willing to cut your own benefits,” she said. “And he said he was going to go after this, that he was going to touch the so-called ‘third rail’ and address the entitlement issues.”

Pawlenty signs a copy of his book for Waverly Mayor Bob Brunkhorst. Photo: Lynda Waddington, Iowa Independent

Former state lawmaker and current Waverly Mayor Bob Brunkhorst, despite having a one-hour drive, was one of the first to arrive for the event and one of the last to leave. Most of his time, however, was spent helping at the food service table.

“I’m here to help serve this fantastic meal, but I also wanted to hear what Gov. Pawlenty had to say,” Brunkhorst said. “I’ve read his book, and he some great ideas about how to get our country on board and moving in the right direction.”

The Fayette event marked the second time Brunkhorst had heard Pawlenty speak, and he, like Appleby, said he was leaving the event with an even more favorable opinion of Pawlenty than when he arrived.

“It’s still early,” he said. “We still don’t know exactly who will wind up being in the field of candidates on caucus night. But I do know that Tim will do a fantastic job, and that he is in the top tier of candidates that I think people should consider.”

No matter how much time Iowans spend speaking directly to and grilling the candidates, said Brunkhorst, there is no way to tell the exact decision a candidate would make in specific situations as an elected president.

“What we need to find out is what a person’s principles are and how that person stands on specific issues,” he said, adding that in Pawlenty he sees “good, guiding principles” that should be indicative of a great leader.

Dyersville Mayor Jim Heavens drove about 60 miles to attend the Fayette fundraiser, and was one of the last event attendees to leave the facility. He stood and shared caucus war stories with others in the audience and members of the press for nearly an hour, biding his time as Pawlenty worked his way around the room. He’s met many presidential hopefuls and, like so many others, knows that the 10 months between now and caucus night can hold many surprises. Still, he “likes Pawlenty” and is looking forward to the process.

For his part, Pawlenty didn’t shy away from the most basic tenants of social conservatism during his public remarks: A belief that the U.S. needs to turn toward God, not away.

“You can’t change what you believe or your values — that would just be phony,” Pawlenty told The Iowa Independent after the event. “People have to campaign based on who they are and what they believe whether they are in Minnesota or Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina or anywhere else. That’s what I’m going to do. That’s what I’ve done for my entire career.”

The braided message Pawlenty presented of himself being a candidate that could excite Republicans of all stripes wasn’t lost on those attending the event. Most, however, seemed pleased with the idea that there could be a candidate socially conservative enough to appeal to the nearly 60 percent of caucus-going Republicans who demand such a politician and fiscally conservative enough to appeal to “old school” GOP deficit hawks at the same time.

“I just hope that he continues his message of being both a fiscal and a social conservative,” said Kirkpatrick.

Portions of Pawlenty’s public remarks are provided in the video below.