By JOHN FUND
August 9, 2008; Page A9
"I'm the son of a truck driver and a housewife from a meatpacking town," he introduced himself, "who wants to provide a better quality of life for ordinary folks without growing government." His audience stirred: This was clearly a different sales pitch than they were used to. "We must be the party of Sam's Club Republicans, not just country club Republicans," he continued.
In 2002, Mr. Pawlenty invented the term "Sam's Club Republicans" to describe the voters he fears the party is losing. They most likely didn't graduate from college, often hold socially conservative views, struggle to make ends meet, and want a government that delivers real value for their tax dollars and programs that make their lives a little easier without "getting in their face." These swing voters are key to reviving the GOP, which lost independents by 18 points in 2006.
While Mr. Pawlenty tiptoes around the Bush political legacy, he allows that the party's years in power left it with a "name brand a little damaged and out of fresh ideas." Merely retreating to Reagan nostalgia won't do. "I love Ronald Reagan," says Mr. Pawlenty, who at age 47 came of age during the Reagan years. "But we have to recognize that to voters younger than me he is an historical figure."
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