In his defense, Tim Pawlenty has made worse judgment calls (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
The governor admitted to some second-guessing about what might have been, saying his calculation in quitting the race was simple: "We were out of money." He said he found out after he quit that the campaign was actually in debt. [...] Pawlenty said that had he known what the race would become, he would have saved some cash to carry on. Instead, the campaign spent all it had and more in Iowa. "That's a decision we made and it was the wrong call," he said.
Not to pile on here, but the mere fact that Pawlenty quit is all the evidence you need to know that he really doesn't have what it takes to win the GOP presidential nomination, much less the presidency. It was obvious to anyone that when he quit the race was far from settled, and that a candidate in his position would have an opportunity to make a comeback.
The idea that he quit because he'd run out of money makes things even worse. At best, it reflects an inability to manage his campaign's finances—a reality underscored by the fact that he was actually in debt when he quit. It also reflects a lack of burning desire to be president: he didn't believe in his soul that he could do it. If had believed in himself, he'd have found a way to pinch pennies and find an opportunity to come back.
So instead of wasting his time regretting his decision to get out of the race, Tim Pawlenty should feel good about the fact that he wasn't going to win anyway. He doesn't have what it takes. And if he wants to regret something, maybe it should be his ill-advised decision to endorse Mitt Romney so quickly after getting out.