Open Thread: Will Pawlenty's Endorsement Help Romney?

September 12th, 2011 10:09 AM

Former presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty has been out of the race for nearly a month, following poor results at the Iowa Straw Poll, but he hasn't been completely silent. He endorsed Mitt Romney for president this morning on Fox News.

In his words, "There's one candidate in this race who's unmatched in his skills and experience and talent when it comes to turning around this economy and growing jobs, and that's Mitt Romney...I believe he's going to be our party's nominee, and I think he's going to be a transformational and great president for this country." 

Do you think Pawlenty's endorsement will give a boost to Romney's poll numbers? Check out a video of Pawlenty's endorsement after the break, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Even with racking up a major endorsement, Romney is still facing a few  hurdles, especially in convincing voters that so-called Romneycare is markedly different from Obamacare. Having Gov. Rick Perry in the race has also pulled many supporters away from Romney.

After endorsing Romney, Pawlenty also noted that he has no desire to run as the vice presidential candidate next fall. Instead, he said, "I'm going to do what I can to help Mitt in this race, but [running as vice president] won't be part of the future for me."

What are your thoughts on his endorsement?