Sonny Perdue abandons Gingrich ship for Tim Pawlenty

One wonders if a lifeboat might have been packed and waiting before the iceberg struck. This from the aggressive Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty, whose campaign is being run by Nick Ayers, a former aide to a certain former governor:

MINNEAPOLIS - Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s presidential campaign announced today that former Governor Sonny Perdue will join its national efforts. Until today, Gov. Perdue was Newt Gingrich’s national campaign co-chair.

“Tim Pawlenty is a great man, he was a phenomenal governor, and he is the person I now believe stands the greatest chance of defeating President Obama. He is the only candidate who has laid out a real plan to grow the American economy, and his track record in Minnesota is proof he’s the right man for the job,” Perdue said.

“I am thrilled Governor Perdue is joining my campaign. He is revered among governors as a thoughtful, sincere man whose faith, character and passion for good policy is second to none. He’s a dear friend and with his help we’re going to continue to build momentum to win the nomination and ultimately the presidency,” Pawlenty said.

With all due respect to Herman Cain, Perdue’s quick realignment is an indication of the fact that Georgia is now in complete play — look for Mitt Romney to challenge Pawlenty for the state.

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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98 comments Add your comment

John Edwards

June 9th, 2011
9:35 pm

LOL…good one Sen. Kennedy! I miss our days in the Senate! Or do I miss our daily happy hour?

mojetter

June 9th, 2011
9:35 pm

@Rally i agree 100%….this would make it make sense….im not a fanatic of Obama, but i have to admit his effectiveness as a President has impressed me. I feel the country is in good hands even if things arent the “good times” we are all used to. I can do another 4 years…then we will see who emerges.

ted i'm dead kennedy

June 9th, 2011
9:37 pm

No problem John, I’ll even drive.

Mr. Dithers

June 9th, 2011
9:43 pm

Actually, Newt’s Greek vacation was the most effective part of his campaign. No comments to set off the right, no bombast, presumably no shows of patriotism with women not his wife. He might win it all if he stays on vacation.

Tech Man

June 9th, 2011
9:48 pm

What Drew @ June 9th, 2011 9:08 pm said!

Dennis

June 9th, 2011
9:52 pm

wow, glad to see all the Democrats weighing in and still drinking the Obama Kool-Aid..once the debate starts and the facts come out on Obama, he’s done..no way he can win again.

QueenKing

June 9th, 2011
9:55 pm

Perdue is Embarrassing. You can’t take him out in public. He looks like Mister Potato Head.
Plus he was a lousy Governor and I a say that as a registered republican.

Dennis

June 9th, 2011
9:56 pm

On second thought, keep drinking the Kool-Aid…a worse beating than the 2010 mid-terms is coming…for real

PopulistX

June 9th, 2011
9:56 pm

Democrats have to be president long enough to lead and fix those things republicans will not touch. Then republicans take the presidency again and blame the democrats for the problems. Again, in the last 62 years there have been 22 years of democratic presidents.

Bob

June 9th, 2011
10:02 pm

Anybody would be better than Obama.

Tony

June 9th, 2011
10:03 pm

This certainly convinces me to avoid Pawlenty!

yuzeyurbrane

June 9th, 2011
10:04 pm

Is this a joke?

Dennis

June 9th, 2011
10:06 pm

Populisx, Democrats have largely created all of the entitlement programs, and for the most part, grown them all incomprehensibly…thus, they are the major problem creators..though I cannot give Repub’s a pass..they too have contributed, but not nearly as much…the whole lot need to go..term limits for Presidents, only right to have for Congress and Senate

Clinton "Skink" Tyree

June 9th, 2011
10:07 pm

As T. Boone Pickens said, “The ol’ boy rode up in front of the grandstands and fell off his horse.”

Hopefully Newt will accept the fact that he’s an echo — a voice from the past and no one cares what he thinks. What he did speaks louder than what he thinks.

Representative Weiner

June 9th, 2011
10:08 pm

Has anyone seen my camera?

Need to snap some pics stat!

Mid Rhoades

June 9th, 2011
10:16 pm

Obama, the worse President ever…well he has had plenty of help & does not stand alone. The best strategy for success is the support of others and even the President of the USA cannot succeed w/o support of congress. Everyone wants a piece of the action when all is well…remember OBL…well now is the time to accept responsiblity & be accountable for all the trickery & sabotage efforts to see that President Obama fails. I haven’t seen one republican with a plausible plan for helping this country to prosper…where is the patriotism in that?

@ rally

June 9th, 2011
10:39 pm

I agree. Newt G is a very smart man, but for his senior staff to quit like they did, there must be some “goat photos” out there.I wonder if he’s as clean-shaven as Rep. Weiner’s weiner is…

Amen, Dennis!

June 9th, 2011
10:40 pm

Avuncular Thomas

June 9th, 2011
11:07 pm

If anyone bothered to vet Cain, he would be tossed into the garbage bin like burnt toast. q.v. Aquila.

The real world.

June 9th, 2011
11:08 pm

obama wants everything you have.He is working on the poor to make it look like the rich are keeping you down.Not the truth and if the lunatic obama stays in office you will be without and still trying to make ends meet and it will be a FUTILE EFFORT!GOD BLESS EVERYONE.

Pewter

June 9th, 2011
11:10 pm

White people are just stupid!!!

Pewter

June 9th, 2011
11:12 pm

White people have a false sense of entitlement that simply doesn’t exist anymore. White republicans are simply pedophole losers.

Pewter

June 9th, 2011
11:13 pm

Cain is a stupid a$$ dummy. What have republicans done for this country in the last 100 years? NOTHING, that’s what. White people simply suck!

JRW7

June 9th, 2011
11:13 pm

I am a X Republican voter, Republicans are trying to kill MEDICARE, and this MEDICARE issue will kill the Republicans, I am now VOTING for the DEMOCRATS, who support MEDICARE!

Pewter

June 9th, 2011
11:15 pm

PRESIDENT Pbama, the black man, has done more than Reagon, or either Bush could EVER dream of doing. Hell, they were all too retarded to even think on their own. Republicans are just racist losers. Blacks are better than you. Whites are stupid and inferior… get over it!

Canton

June 10th, 2011
2:10 am

I don’t understand how Sonny Perdue could add that much value to Pawlenty’s campaign, he just seems like a singularly untalented individual. Unless maybe they need a fish expert.

eatmotacos

June 10th, 2011
2:25 am

Sonny knows a lot about cowboy boots. I had the privilege of meeting him once; he is a vertically challenged male. Without his cowboy boots with 5 inch heels, which he wears even with tuxedos, he would come to about my armpits.

Clinton "Skink" Tyree

June 10th, 2011
6:51 am

“I bet my money on a bobbed -tail nag, now I’ll bet on the bay.” — Sonny Perdue

“Me, too!” — Guv. Nathan Deal

Clinton "Skink" Tyree

June 10th, 2011
6:55 am

@Pewter: You’re exposed — just a pathetic Tea Party Republican stirring the stew.

Geeez....

June 10th, 2011
7:12 am

A can of orange juice will be better than the clown currently residing in The White House.

unemployed now

June 10th, 2011
7:14 am

I would like to personally thank Sonny P for his creation of a “sick tax” on hospitals. Of course being a republican he calls it a “fee”. Either way, Piedmont has been forced to lay off hundreds of workers in order to send millions of dollars a month to Grady and Children’s Health Care.

He was lobbied HARD from the tobacco industry and the alcohol industry not to reach into their pockets, so he has sucked us dry.

Remember when you hit your nurses call bell and no one comes who to blame. Most of the people who were laid off have over 20 years with the hospital. And these were good seasoned veterans who no what they are doing. There is no school better than experience and keeping the green kids right out of school is a mistake, but they make less money.

Geeez....

June 10th, 2011
7:15 am

“Whites are stupid and inferior…”

Oh really? Tell me all the great inventions and how far superior the African continent is again. Can you say “racist bigot”?

Geeez....

June 10th, 2011
7:17 am

JRW7

June 9th, 2011
11:13 pm

Hey not so bright one….do you know how many $$$’s Obamacare is taking FROM Medicare? But, don’t let those bothersome facts get in your way.

E. Ruffin

June 10th, 2011
7:17 am

Perdue is a liar as evidenced by his cut throat take down of the REAL Georgia flag. But in any case, any Republican, or any monkey hanging from a tree branch, would lead this country better than the marxist, socialist, anti-American who presently resides at 1600 Penn. Ave.

Tee

June 10th, 2011
9:12 am

@NObama
It’s clear from your comments, YOUR A SOUTHERN FRIED AZZ HOL

mehlman rings twice

June 10th, 2011
9:14 am

I tried to tell you people months ago that Newt was in trouble. Even if he stayed in the race, women are not going to vote to reward his wife for sleeping with another woman’s husband. That is one taboo that is yet to be overcome in this country.

Concerned Voter

June 10th, 2011
9:58 am

At least the Tea Party will have a “worthy” film to see at the cinema that weekend it will be showng.

Concerned Voter

June 10th, 2011
9:59 am

Palin’s movie will give the Tea Party a few laughs before they go back to the drawing board again . . . again. . . again. . . in Gingrich and Perdue tradition. It takes a great deal of press to clear up what they meant to say the first time.

Michael

June 10th, 2011
10:10 am

Georgian complaints about Obama ring hollow because he was declared “worst president ever” in January 2009. So the losers think he’s the worst ever — you already lost that vote. You act as if you won the election and somehow he snuck in illegally and took office.

Oh if only we had McCain/Palin — I hope they run again and win. Then China will take us over but you all will just blame Obama, Clinton and Carter.

Jon Lester

June 10th, 2011
12:08 pm

These people who are so sure of Obama’s vulnerability are part of a radio audience that has shrunk by 30% in the last year, and of course Rush and Sean aren’t about to admit that to them.

Tucker

June 10th, 2011
12:41 pm

Governor Perdue obviously knows when a campaign is dead. Governor Deal does not.

Geeez....

June 10th, 2011
1:03 pm

Jon Lester

June 10th, 2011
12:08 pm
“These people who are so sure of Obama’s vulnerability are part of a radio audience that has shrunk by 30% in the last year, and of course Rush and Sean aren’t about to admit that to them.”

Kinda like The Community Organizer’s approval ratings. LOL!!!

cash in

June 10th, 2011
2:21 pm

sonny perdue–crooked to the core. He’s got millions from his “friends” made while governor and is now trying to cash in on some new campaign. republicans never learn with all these crooks.

Brenda

June 10th, 2011
2:21 pm

We think while on the vacation, our boy newtie had a fling with another hot mama and wifie found out!!! He may be castrated now.

catlady

June 10th, 2011
6:04 pm

A title that doesn’t last long: MRS. Newt Gingrich.

catlady

June 10th, 2011
6:06 pm

I’m guessing Newt got outbid on Purdue.

[...] Tim Pawlenty has an opportunity to impress the common voter the way he’s been impressing some others. [...]