Former Pawlenty backers to take second look at Romney
Tim Pawlenty’s former supporters in New Hampshire aren’t all ready to follow the former GOP presidential candidate onto the Mitt Romney bandwagon. Some, however, said they would now be giving Romney a second look.
After the former Minnesota governor endorsed Romney for president this morning and accompanied him on a tour of a Boeing plant in Charleston, S.C., the Globe interviewed several of Pawlenty’s key staff or supporters in the first primary state of New Hampshire, where Pawlenty campaigned early and often.
“It certainly makes me give Governor Romney a second look because I respect Governor Pawlenty,’’ said Bruce Berke, a New Hampshire lobbyist and early Pawlenty backer, when asked about the endorsement.
Berke said he is looking for a candidate with executive experience, who will focus on economic and business issues more than social issues. Since Pawlenty dropped out last month, Berke had been considering former Utah governor Jon Huntsman Jr. and Texas Governor Rick Perry. With Pawlenty’s endorsement of Romney, Berke said, he will reassess Romney. “Now I guess another (candidate) has been added to the mix,’’ Berke said.
Bruce Keough, a former state senator and former chairman of the board of trustees for the University System of New Hampshire, co-chaired Romney’s New Hampshire campaign in 2008. This election, he joined Pawlenty’s national policy committee and New Hampshire steering committee.
Now, Keough said he’s still undecided but is considering returning to Romney. “I don’t think it will be too long before I either make a decision to support someone or sit it out,’’ Keough said.
Keough said he originally did not support Romney again because he was worried about Romney’s health care plan in Massachusetts, which included an individual mandate, “muddying the waters’’ in a general election campaign against President Obama. (Pawlenty was one of the prime Republican critics of Romney’s health care plan, coining the phrase “Obamneycare’’ to conflate it with Obama’s overhaul, which Republicans have excoriated.)
Keough said he won’t be guided by Pawlenty’s decision. But he said after watching the debates, he is coming to the conclusion that his concerns about Romney may be “less significant’’ than he originally thought.
“People are so concerned about the economy and jobs that they may be less focused on issues like individual mandates and health care proposals,’’ Keough said.
Rich Killion, a New Hampshire strategist for Romney in 2008 and a spokesman for Pawlenty this year, said Romney is lucky to have Pawlenty on board. But Killion was making no moves toward his old boss. “I’m unaffiliated with any candidate right now,’’ Killion said. “I’m enjoying being on the sidelines and would expect that to continue.’’
Similarly, Jennifer Horn, a former congressional nominee who endorsed Pawlenty, said she does not plan to endorse anytime soon. Horn now runs a limited government advocacy group called “We the People.’’ After Pawlenty dropped out, Horn said, she decided to have “We the People’’ host a series of town halls with the candidates this fall and will not endorse until the town halls are done.
Horn said she believes Pawlenty will help Romney’s campaign, as he competes for votes with Texas Governor Rick Perry. “It could be very helpful in drawing new people to look at the candidate, other folks to reevaluate the candidate and consider him again,’’ Horn said. But she said, the impact will not be huge on activists.
“I do think most activists are pretty independent-minded,’’ Horn said. “They aren’t going to endorse even who someone they like and respect endorses.’’
Bill Cahill, a former executive councilor and former state vice chairman of Pawlenty’s campaign, also said he would be watching the debates carefully before choosing a candidate. “(Pawlenty’s) endorsement of Governor Romney doesn’t automatically translate to support from his New Hampshire supporters,’’ Cahill said. “Me personally, I have to sit tight, watch the next debate or two, see where I might make my time valuable.’’
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