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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said Sunday that Republicans
must focus more on winning over Democratic and independent voters on pocketbook
issues if the GOP wishes to return to power. “We have to be a conservative party, and we should be.
But we have to apply those principles in the context of a changing country,”
Pawlenty said on “Fox News Sunday”. “And we have to learn to do a better job of
applying our conservative principles to this new marketplace.”
Pawlenty, who was mentioned as a potential running mate
choice for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) this summer and who is considered a
potential 2012 presidential candidate, said Republicans must more aggressively
court “Sam’s Club” voters, voters who are hamstrung by their budgets.
Pawlenty was joined by former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael
Steele, who said Republicans failed to adequately communicate their message to
voters in the 2006 and 2008 elections that saw loses for the GOP.
“We've absolutely forgotten how to communicate a message,
to firmly… espouse those very principles in the context of people's everyday
lives,” Steele said.
Steele also defended his use of the slogan “drill, baby,
drill” during his speech at the Republican National Convention this summer, a
slogan which actually drew criticism from Pawlenty this week at the Republican
Governors’ Association meeting.
“‘Drill, baby, drill’ is not meant to be an energy
policy,” Steele, who is currently running for chairman of the Republican
National Committee said. “‘Drill, baby, drill’ is a way to get your attention
focused on the question of how we do energy in this country.”
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