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Pawlenty told reporters that he thought he was still in the hunt until getting a call last Friday morning telling him he was not the pick. Hours later McCain publicly announced he went with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Since July, Pawlenty had refused to discuss whether he was actively participating in the vetting process.
“You could say I was fully considered,” Pawlenty said. “And I had a lot of discussion with the McCain folks about that possibility.”
Pawlenty said he got a chuckle out of a slip-up by Jo Ann Davidson, the chairwoman of the convention organizing committee, while she was at the Xcel Energy Center podium Tuesday night. She extolled “Sarah Pawlenty” as the vice presidential candidate. He said he wasn’t disappointed by being passed over.
“I’m not a person who gets hung up on what I didn’t get or don’t have. I’m grateful for what I do have and I’ve been given a lot,” Pawlenty said.
He said he doesn’t foresee a comedown as he returns to the statehouse for the final two years in his term. He won’t say whether he’ll seek re-election.
“Nothing’s changed,” he added, “I’m the same person, I live in the same house, I have the same family, I have the same values, I have the same principles, I like and do the same things. The only thing that’s different is I got to speak a little more for Senator McCain than I might otherwise would have.”
The two-term governor revealed the details after addressing Minnesota’s delegation to the Republican National Convention. He was part of an all-star lineup of politicians mentioned in the McCain veepstakes to make remarks at the delegation breakfast.
The Minnesota delegates also heard from former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge and businesswoman Carly Fiorina.
Ridge promoted Pawlenty as someone who could play on the national stage down the road.
“Tim has a great future,” Ridge said. “It depends on what he wants his future to be.”
Some of Pawlenty’s home-state Republicans consider him a prime candidate for a role in McCain’s cabinet if he wins or a 2012 White House candidate himself if the Arizona senator loses.
“He’s young, energetic and he earned his stripes,” said Minnesota delegate Dan Williams. “He has solid credibility. He is not one of these people who needs to be paraded or introduced to the nation. His star is very bright.”
Ben Wiener, an alternate in the Minnesota delegation, said Pawlenty’s charisma and two wins in a left-leaning state work in Pawlenty’s favor. Pawlenty won statewide races in multi-candidate fields in 2002 and 2006 despite never claiming a majority of votes cast.
With a wry smile, Wiener said he was’t disappointed that McCain went another direction.
“I’m actually glad it’s not him,” Wiener said. “We need him here.”
