A new book about the 2008 presidential campaign is making waves in Washington, particularly because of some controversial comments made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
But also buried in "Game Change" by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann is a short explanation of why Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who was on McCain's shortlist of vice presidential candidates, did not make the final cut. Chief campaign strategist Steve Schmidt thought Pawlenty was a formidable pick, but not the right man to re-energize the campaign.
"Here's my view of the politics of it," Schmidt told McCain as they feasted on deep-fried burritos. "In any normal year, Tim Pawlenty's a great pick, a no-brainer. But this isn't a normal year. We need to have a transformative, electrifying moment in this campaign.
Schmidt and Davis then placed a new option on the table: Sarah Palin."
Another interesting Pawlenty anecdote:
"When Bush first caught the news of the pick on a basement television set in the West Wing, he thought at first he heard 'Pawlenty.' (Interesting, he mused.) But then he realized that the name was Palin, and he was completely baffled. (Where did that come from?)"
