Pawlenty: GOP needs more candidates who aren't older, white males

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) warned Friday that the GOP should encourage more candidates who aren't middle-aged men as candidates.

On the heels of primaries in which a number of women candidates, many of them Republicans, won their party's nomination, Pawlenty said he thought this year's elections would be, in part, "the year of the woman."

"Our party needs to have more faces and voices that aren't middle-aged men," Pawlenty said during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America."
 
Mentioning the victories of GOP candidates Susana Martinez in New Mexico and Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina in California, Pawlenty said the GOP must "celebrate the success of our female candidates," which he says will help "the pendulum swing back our way" in the fall.

"This is going to be in part the year of women," the potential 2012 presidential candidate said.

Host George Stephanopoulos pointed out that Pawlenty did not mention the victory of Sharron Angle in Nevada and asked about his opinion on her strong calls to abolish Social Security and the EPA and make alcohol illegal.

Pawlenty said he thought Angle would be successful in the end despite her somewhat controversial positions, avoiding criticizing the Tea Party movement that heavily backed Angle's candidacy.

-- Cross-posted from the Blog Briefing Room.

Pawlenty also appeared on the Daily Show Thursday night. Video of his appearance can be seen here.