The video: On Sunday, a day before his official announcement in Iowa, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) released a web video declaring his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. (View the clip below.) Distinguished by a "soothing score and soft-lighted images," the rather mellow ad is "a change of pace for a candidate who's favored frenetic Michael Bay–esque productions in previous videos," says Kendra Marr at Politico. In the two-minute ad, Pawlenty outlines his blue-collar background, attacks President Obama's "fancy speeches," and promises to tell hard truths about the U.S. debt and jobs.
The reaction: Pawlenty isn't every Republican's dream candidate, but he is a fine addition to a "solid, relatively conservative" GOP field, says Erick Erickson at RedState. And after watching his video, "I am actually floored it is so well done." Well, T-Paw has "not being Mitt Romney" going for him, says David Goldstein at The Stranger. But "I'm not sure even ads as slick as these are enough to overcome the fact that he is Tim Pawlenty. I mean, remember his performance from the recent debate in South Carolina? Neither do I." Watch Pawlenty's big announcement:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The African asylum seekers fighting for Israel in GazaUnder the Radar 'Quid pro quo' recruitment offer condemned as unethical as Israel seeks to address shortage of soldiers
-
Instagram rolls out teen accounts with new limitsSpeed Read After facing pushback over child safety, Meta announced that all users under 18 will have their Instagram accounts modified
-
Arizona official sues to bar 100K from local votingSpeed Read A large number of residents who have not submitted citizenship documents might be prevented from voting in the battleground state's elections
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attemptSpeed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPBSpeed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion banSpeed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling BiblesSpeed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitnessIn Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
