As more unlikely winners throw their hat in the ring for the Republican Presidential Campaign, I believe that it’s important that we know who they are and what they stand for.

Today, during an Internet Townhall Meeting, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will throw his hat into the ring.

Other than seeing him on Fox News every now and then, I really did not know a whole lot about him.

Per his official website, timpawlenty.com:

…Tim’s leadership style is rooted in his family. One of five children, Tim grew up near the stockyards of South St. Paul. His father was a truck driver and his mother passed away when he was young. Tim worked while attending the University of Minnesota, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. He went on to earn his law degree and become a criminal prosecutor.

He was elected to the local city council in 1989 and to the state House of Representatives three years later. In the state House, Tim quickly rose to become the Republican majority leader, and led efforts to enact the largest tax cuts in Minnesota history. After being elected governor in 2002, Tim kept his campaign promise and balanced the budget every year without raising taxes. In fact, Tim cut taxes by nearly $800 million, moving Minnesota out of the top 10 highest taxed states – a goal of every Minnesota governor for over 30 years.

While keeping a lid on taxes, Tim has championed innovative education and health care reforms that are national models. A firm believer in the power of competition, Tim’s health care reforms made price and quality more transparent for patients, moving the health care system towards paying for and achieving better health care outcomes. And to make sure Minnesota school children are prepared for the modern economy, Tim’s education reforms hold teachers accountable, rewarding the best with a groundbreaking performance-pay system.

Tim and his wife, Mary, also led efforts to support Minnesotans serving in the military. In addition to traveling several times to the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq to visit with commanders and troops, he led efforts to create one of the nation’s most comprehensive programs to support veterans, military members and their families.

Tim has been married for over 20 years to his wife, Mary, a former district judge. The Pawlentys have two teenage daughters, Anna and Mara, and attend Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Tim has run the Twin Cities Marathon and is a fervent hockey fan. He plays in a regular pick up hockey game. Tim’s ipod includes Bruce Springsteen and Kenny Chesney.

You already know what’s coming next, don’t you, Gentle Reader?

Let’s measure Governor Pawlenty using the three-legged stool of Reagan Conservatism:

1.  Fiscal Conservatism – In a article at economist.com, posted on March 22, 2011, Pawlenty’s Fiscal Conservatism is assessed in the following way:

…Minnesota has come through the recession quite well, with an unemployment rate of 6.7%, well below the national average. And although Mr Pawlenty left his state with a $6 billion deficit, he has some fiscal-conservative bonafides. (Let’s be honest, fiscal conservatism nowadays has everything to do with lowering taxes and spending and little to do with actual deficits.) He won a fight with a public-employees’ union long before Scott Walker did, and he made liberal use of his veto pen when it came to spending bills, something he likes to brag about. Elected twice, most would at least say he had an uncontroversial two terms in office. Many would even call his tenure a success.

However, he’s not perfect.

At one time, Pawlenty was in favor of Cap and Trade. In fact, he appeared in a Public Service Announcement for the Environmental Defense Fund with then-Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano where he pleaded:

Come on Congress. Let’s get moving. Cap greenhouse gas pollution now.

He’s since done an about-face on the issue, saying:

Everybody in the race, at least the big names in the race, embraced climate change or cap-and-trade at one point or another, every one of us, so there’s no one who has been in executive position whose name is being bantered in a first or second-tier way who hasn’t embraced it in some way.

Really, Governor?

The question is in my case, I’ve said, ‘Look, I’ve made a mistake.’ I think cap-and-trade would be a ham-fisted, unhelpful, damaging thing to the economy. It’s misguided. I made the mistake. I admit it. I’m not trying to be cute about it. I just come out and tell you it was a mistake.

2.  Social Conservatism – Formerly Catholic, now an Evangelical, Pawlenty is solidly Pro-Life , and, as noted earlier in this post,  his campaign claims that his focus is on the family.

According to lifenews.com:

During his time as governor, Pawlenty built up a sterling pro-life record and worked closely with Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life to advocate the pro-life position. Following Governor Pawlenty’s two terms, the number of abortions dropped 14 percent and reached a 35-year low.

…He named Eric Magnuson, an attorney who has worked with pro-life groups, the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and told Minnesota agencies to reject Obamacare, which could fund abortions. He signed the Woman’s Right to Know Act, which requires informed consent and a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion. The law was the strongest informed consent law in the country at the time, and Minnesota was the first state in the nation to ensure that women be provided with information on the ability of their unborn child to feel pain.

Pawlenty also signed into law the Positive Alternatives program passed by the state legislature in 2005 with the support of pro-life groups. The law, which provides state funding for pregnancy centers that help women with pregnancy support and abortion alternatives, has already proven successful in lowering the number of abortions.

3.  National Defense – Pawlenty is strong on this issue.  In October of 2009, he announced the formation of the Freedom First Political Action Committee, created to support  Tim Pawlenty’s views on limited government, economic freedom, and a strong foreign policy.

An example of his foreign policy stance can be seen in this statement from Pawlenty on facebook.com about Obama’s Kenetic Military Action in Libya:

Far too often, when President Obama is confronted by significant foreign policy challenges, he wavers, leaving those fighting on the side of freedom to question America’s commitment to their cause. This was the case with the administration’s response to recent events in Egypt. It was only after Hosni Mubarak’s fate was clear that the President got behind the courageous men and women gathered in Tahrir Square. Now, the Libyan people have taken to the streets to free themselves from the despotic reign of Muammar al-Qaddafi and peaceful protesters have been literally gunned down. Yet the President remains silent, unwilling or unable to speak with moral clarity about America’s interest in supporting the aspirations of all who seek freedom. The leader of the United States should never leave those willing to sacrifice their lives in the cause of freedom wondering where America stands. It is time for the administration to use all tools at its disposal to pressure al-Qaddafi to stop the violence and to step down. The Libyan people don’t have time to wait.

At this present time, Governor Pawlenty’s views seem to be that of a Reagan Conservative.  There are two big problems with his candidacy, however:

First, he’s an unknown outside of the Northeast Corridor.

Second, he’s about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Other than that, he’s got a great shot at being nominated.