Weigel

BOONE, Iowa -- Here's one of the small cards being handed out to attendees of a packed Pawlenty town hall here. It's another trinket in his quest to convince voters of the obvious truth that he's right on their issues, he's got no hideous problems with his record, and that he can win if they stop getting distracted by flashier candidates.

"You can stick a fork in Barack Obama," said Pawlenty. "Politically, he's done. The main way we can screw this up is if we choose the wrong Republican."