A Lot of Alliteration

As someone who has worked more nights than I can count as a copy editor for a morning metropolitan newspaper, I have to express my admiration when an intriguing headline catches my attention.

I have just seen one such headline at the website for the Minneapolis Star–Tribune.

Let's back up just a little bit, shall we?

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced today that he will not seek a third term as governor of Minnesota next year. Speculation has been that he is going to run for the Republican presidential nomination, but he sidestepped questions about that.

So Bob Von Sternberg wrote an article for the paper summarizing what "political observers" were saying — and I guess it came as no surprise that most people think he is, indeed, positioning himself for a run for the nomination.

But there was a lot of speculation last year that John McCain would choose Pawlenty to be his running mate. That, of course, did not happen. But it could have. As I recall, Pawlenty himself pulled the plug on the idea as the Republicans prepared to convene in Minnesota.

So, since he didn't gain the national attention he could have had last year, Pawlenty may not be planning a national campaign in 2012, especially if winning that nomination means taking on a popular incumbent. Although Obama's popularity undoubtedly will fluctuate in the next three years, there is no telling (in 2009) whether it will be on the upswing or the downswing in 2012.

There's no rush. Pawlenty's only 48. He'll be in his mid–50s when 2016 gets here.

He might be planning to challenge Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a first–termer who comes up for re–election in 2012.

Anyway, the headline on the article is "Pundits ponder Pawlenty's presidential prospects."

Not bad, huh?