Pawlenty's limited historical range

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty brings a biographical peculiarity to his quest for the White House. Were he to win, he'd be the first president who had never lived outside his home state.

In fact, Mr. Pawlenty has lived his entire life within a radius of 20 miles, a stark contrast to his more peripatetic Republican rivals and the current president. On the stump, Mr. Pawlenty uses that as a prime selling point...

It is a narrative that, thus far at least, isn't resonating...

Mr. Pawlenty's proffer to voters is unusual in modern politics, especially for a conservative. Democrats Bill Clinton, and before him Jimmy Carter, stand out as candidates rooted to one place. Mr. Obama, born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and Kansan mother, made Chicago his political home. Republican candidates have tended to have national experience or a broader geographic base than Mr. Pawlenty, and few tout working-class roots...

Mr. Pawlenty grew up with his four siblings in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house, where he lived almost until the day he got married. He worked for eight years in the produce section of the local grocery store two blocks away. South St. Paul High School, where he played hockey and soccer, sits six blocks to the north...

Text and graphic from the Wall Street Journal.