Is any one else at all surprised at the speculation that Governor Pawlenty might start a run for president four two years from now? He’s a generically handsome, young, popular Republican governor in a decidedly blue state. He would have made a strategically killer vice presidential candidate (although admittedly he would have been much less hilarious than the actual pick) and he will make a strong candidate in 2012. And don’t let him tell you he’s not running. I’ve seen this before.

In the fall of 2004 I was in Boston. Bush had just won a second term (somehow). Mere weeks after this election victory–it was still November–generically handsome, young, popular Republican governor in a decidedly blue state Mitt Romney started going around the country speaking on a hot button issue he was an authoritative expert on: Gay Marriage (booga booga booga! WAHHH!). “I’m not running for anything” was his catchphrase, but anyone with half a brain could see right through it. This is not to say he shouldn’t have run (I wouldn’t ever have voted for him, but that’s beside the point), it’s just to say NEVER TRUST A POLITICIAN.

Look for Pawlenty to do the same thing: go on a speaking tour on a big hot button issue that he’s an authoritative expert on (energy policy, specifically renewables) and deny up and down that he knows that he’s running for president. The fact is, he is running. Right now. He won’t call it that, and it may not make it to the primaries, but he’s running for something. And you don’t run for governor on FOX News talk shows.