Governor Tim Pawlenty Announces for President

The Republican field of candidates for President of the US (POTUS) is geting sorted out.   With Haley Barbour, Mitch Daniels, Donald Trump (really?), Mike Huckabee and probably a few others (in the next few months) OUT of the race, and the early announcers in the race for Prez (Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul), the newest official candidate is former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.   Following on his heels will likely be former Utah Governor Huntsman.
Here is the Pawlenty pre-announcement video Palenty web announcement that appeared this weekend on the campaign website.   Tim's official announcement will come on Monday May 23rd in Iowa, the site of the early midwest GOP campaigning and early caucus results.

You'll note the Democrat leaning (or really biased) Main Stream Media (MSM) noting that the Republicans have a weak field and that there is not a front runner among them.     And Obama is raising lots of money and that he'll be hard to beat.    Wrong!    As John Sununu  (former US Senator from New Hampshire and contributor to the Boston Globe) aptly states in his recent editorial:

The New Hampshire primary isn’t about announcements or first impressions, and it will not be decided in May or June. With Daniels’s decision, the field may finally be set, but the long march has barely begun.

Primaries don’t repeat themselves, but as the saying goes, sometimes they rhyme. 2012, like 1996, features a Democratic president who suffered big mid-term losses, a sluggish economy, and a wide-open Republican field. Right now, that’s something of a self-fulfilling prophecy: The field is open because most voters and activists have yet to commit to a candidate; they haven’t committed to a candidate because the field is still open.

With Daniels out, focus will fall on the trio of Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and Jon Huntsman. They have all served as governor, won statewide elections, and can raise considerable campaign cash. They also all have big hurdles to overcome.

So let the candidates begin their long march through the early primary and caucus states.   In a Presidential race, it is like the Olympics.    It only happens every four years, it takes tremendous preparation and team efforts and the final victor may or may not be favored early.  And a good set of primary races will yeild a stronger GOP challenger to President Obama.     

(c) 2011, Jasper Welch, Four Corners Media, www.jasperwelch.org