Even though he is a northern neighbor and even though he gave a big speech there and even though he's a frequent national television guest, most Iowans Republicans have no idea who Gov. Tim Pawlenty is and whether or not they like him.
In a Des Moines Register Iowa poll, 73 percent of Iowans Republicans said they were not sure how they feel about the Minnesota governor. The few that had heard of him seem to like him okay. In the poll, 17 percent said they felt very or mostly favorably about him and 10 percent said they felt very or mostly unfavorably about him. (It would be interesting to know if any people in that 17 or 10 percent heard or attended Pawlenty's speech at the Iowa State Fair ground a few weeks ago.)
The Iowa poll follows a series of national polls that showed Pawlenty, who appears to be ramping up for a potential 2012 presidential run, is far from a household name. At some point, that would have to change for the governor to be taken seriously but for right now being a blank slate that can be filled over time might be just what the governor wants.
Here are more details from the poll:
