S.C. debate a no-brainer for Pawlenty

By JONATHAN MARTIN | 5/5/11 8:07 PM EDT

It may be the political version of the junior-varsity squad on the Republican primary stage tonight in South Carolina, but to Tim Pawlenty what matters is that the game is being televised.

Pawlenty campaign officials say they agreed to the Fox News-South Carolina GOP debate months ago and never considered backing out of the first Republican presidential debate, even when it became clear that most of the candidates leading in early polling wouldn’t participate.

For the former Minnesota governor, the appeal of the forum had little to do with which of the other candidates would stand next to him and everything to do with the prospect of extended air time on conservatives’ preferred cable channel.

“Why wouldn’t we do it?” asked a Pawlenty aide. “The governor is relatively unknown and this offers the opportunity to talk to a nationwide audience.”

The Minnesotan is grappling with what is, for presidential hopefuls with limited name identification, something of a quadrennial quandary: it’s difficult to convince donors to part with their money without promising poll numbers, and it’s tough to rise in the polls without becoming better known. TV ads are, of course, the easiest way to address the dilemma, but those require the precious dollars that few contributors will part with until they are sure of a candidate’s viability.

So it can be a vicious cycle. But there are ways to break it. As Mike Huckabee found out in the last cycle, the easiest one may be to turn in a string of strong debate performances. That’s what boosted the folksy Arkansas governor, who had more charm than cash heading into the 2008 Iowa caucuses.

There are, though, other reasons why Pawlenty aides think it’s worth appearing on stage tonight with the second-tier of candidates.

For one, it frames him as in the first-tier — no small thing for a candidate way back in early state polls who needs to convince elites that he’s a contender.

“The coverage keeps saying there’s only one top-tier candidate and that’s Gov. Pawlenty,” noted an aide. “So, if anything, it’s reinforcing that we are top-tier.”

Then there is the message they think it sends to antsy Republicans — we, too, think the campaign to defeat President Obama must start now. That’s the case Pawlenty, in TV appearances and an op-ed, has been articulating in recent days — backed up by a raft of “In Case You Missed It” emails to reporters.

“That’s a message that works well with the rank-and-file and donors,” said a Pawlenty official. “People are ready for the campaign.”

Then there is a more delicate rationale: sticking with their commitment to the debate helps earn a chit with Fox. Perhaps the executives at the powerful cable channel won’t forget who showed at their first debate — and who blew them off.

For a candidate who needs all the TV time he can get, doing his part to ensure that Fox’s first debate isn’t totally devoid of contenders can only help when, as the race heats up, the candidates are scrapping for every possible minute on the network.