Conor Friedersdorf reads Pawlenty's book, Courage to Stand, so you don't have to:
Politicians usually emphasize these anecdotes about the decline of industry in the Midwest and a job being "more than a job" when they're about to transition into populism. … As far as I can tell, the endlessly repeated narrative of growing up around blue collar people when their industry went bust builds to no special Pawlenty insight or policy proposal (even a counterintuitive one). There's never even a hint that he has an opinion of who was right during the major labor versus union battles that happened in meat packing. So why does he tell these stories? Is Pawlenty's emphasis on growing up around blue collar workers meant to signify anything of substance? Is the mere fact of it sufficient to win votes?
Wolcott is less evenhanded:
On the morning that Pawlenty was passed over as McCain’s V.P. pick, he took the dog out for a walk and, bending to scoop her poop, thought, “Well, this is the only number two I’ll be picking up today.” After giving himself a good chuckle, “I tucked that slightly crass, self-directed joke into my proverbial pocket, thinking it might be fun to share it at an appropriate moment during the Republican Convention the following week.” Such evaluations are subjective, difficult to adjudicate, but I think it possible that Pawlenty, or T-Paw, as his imaginary followers call him, may be a bigger crock than Mitt Romney.
(Photo: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty strolls the grounds at the Iowa State Fair August 12, 2010 in Des Moines, Iowa. By Steve Pope/Getty Images)
The Dish 