NORTH CONWAY — Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota, is making the rounds, pressing the flesh, in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, a quest that took him to the home of Ray Shakir in the Birch Hill neighborhood of North Conway Saturday night.

Shakir introduced Palwenty as a man he respected, since he said Pawlenty had stood up and taken unpopular stands. Shakir said Pawlenty went to Iowa and spoke against continuing subsidies for corn ethanol. “That means,” Shakir said, “he's got brass ... .”

About 35 local Republicans crowded in and around the spacious living room of the president of the Mount Washington Valley Republicans and listened as the man from Minnesota outlined the reasons why he should be their choice. Pawlenty quickly differentiated himself from President Obama, whom he said had done a “bait and switch” when he became President.

“I don't think the American people are going to be fooled twice,” Pawlenty said. He said the country has to recapture the can-do spirit. He said a candidate should tell the truth about the real challenges the country faces, and give solutions. Iowa, he told them ethanol subsidies need to be phased out, went to Florida, told them entitlements need to be reformed.

Pawlenty, in answering a question, said he believed in the right-to-work and in concealed carry laws. He said that he will return America to a position of respect around the world.

Asked about an energy policy he said it could be summed up in two words: more energy. He said we should drill in ANWR, that the brakes shouldn't be slammed on off-shore deep-drilling, that coal can be used, that we now have the technology to build better designed nuclear plants, and that we need to aggressively exploit our natural gas.

After Pawlenty spoke, people lined up to talk to him, several with copies of his book, “Courage to Stand: An American Story” in hand. Wylie Apte of North Conway said he's been urged by his adult children, who live in Minnesota, to support Pawlenty.

Steve Schofield of Hales Location, said “I make a concentrated effort to see every candidate and to shake every hand and look him or her in the eye.” Schofield, who said he supported Romney in the last primary, said he likes Pawlenty this time around. He likes Pawlenty's background and experience.

“The governor understands regular people,” he said, “the current President does not.”

Barbara Stepanek of New Castle, who worked for Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 cycle, has already signed on as a Pawlenty volunteer. She called Pawlenty “the real deal.”