ON YOUR MARKS....:

Tim Pawlenty’s intro to New Hampshire (KENDRA MARR, 1/26/11, Politico)

Behind it all was Pawlenty’s hope that he can gain an early foothold in a state that expects nothing short of intimacy from presidential candidates, currying favor while many of his potential rivals keep one foot on the sideline. While the formality of an official announcement is likely still to come, Pawlenty himself acknowledged the importance of playing early in the Granite State, where likely rival Mitt Romney finished second to John McCain in 2008 and is banking on a stronger showing this time. Romney won a straw poll of state Republican insiders last weekend.

“Coming from the Midwest and a not so-big-of-a-state, I’m not so well known,” he conceded to Republicans in Concord.

But the guy who reporters still ask if he’s “too nice” to run for president seems to relish the underdog role. Recalling the first day of his gubernatorial campaign, he told of going to coach his daughter’s soccer game that night. There, he said, a player eagerly asked: “Are you running for governor? Are you running for governor?”

“I’ve only been at this a day and my message has already permeated the brains of 7-year-old school children,” Pawlenty remembered thinking with elation. Alas, the little girl’s excitement was rooted in the hope that Pawlenty could get her an autograph from former wrestler and outgoing Gov. Jesse Ventura.