With poll after poll showing Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the single digits as a possible 2012 presidential candidate, there's a glimmer of good news or at least good-ish news for the man from Eagan in the latest Des Moines Register poll.
While, as noted by the 2012 Presidential Campaign Blog, Pawlenty is "relatively unknown," the mystery of Pawlenty is actually incomplete.
Here are the poll numbers from the newspaper:
Tim Pawlenty
Minnesota governor
Unknown to 53%
Favorable: 32%
Unfavorable: 15%
Now, sure, more than half of those early voting Iowans have no idea who Pawlenty is but 47 percent have some kind of opinion of him -- and the plurality of those with an opinion kinda like him. The poll also found that he is better known than 2012 possibilities Mitch Daniels -- the Indiana governor is unknown to 80 percent -- and John Thune -- the South Dakota senator is unknown to 71 percent.
"People who know Tim Pawlenty tend to like him," said Alex Conant, Pawlenty's political spokesman.
The governor, who has said a presidential run is a possibility but he isn't sure what he's going to do next, may be back in Iowa to get more known.
"He's been there twice in the last six months and I certainly wouldn't rule out additional visits," Conant said.
