Meet GOP Hopeful Tim Pawlenty's New Campaign Manager -- He's on a Mission from God

Meet Nick Ayers, the 28-year-old 'wunderkind' who apparently believes he's received a directive from God to help lead Pawlenty to the Promised Land.

While Donald Trump has been making the most buzz-nutty moves, Mitt Romney the most predictable, Mike Huckabee the most personable, except when he's been caught a number of times saying offensive and ridiculous stuff, Newt Gingrich the most opportunistic, Herman Cain the most Alan Keyes-like, and Michelle Bachmann the most charismatic and Tea Partyish, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has made perhaps the most significant move yet along the long buck-filled road to the Republican Party's presidential nomination.

Although his recently released book Courage to Stand: an American Story hasn't sold particularly well and he isn't getting any style points for charisma or oratorical skills, nevertheless, Pawlenty may have gained a leg up on his challengers by naming a young, hot, hunting-loving political "wunderkind" as campaign manager for his exploratory committee. And that boy wonder/whiz kid claims to have a direct pipeline to God.

Meet Nick Ayers, Tim Pawlenty's 28-year-old campaign manager. Ayers is a religious fellow who formerly was the head of the Republican Governors Association, a group that under his leadership raised tens of millions for Republican gubernatorial candidates in 2010, and which, according to journalist Andy Birkey, in a story published in The Minnesota Independent, "funneled money into Minnesota's Future to run negative ads against Mark Dayton during the 2010 gubernatorial election."

Birkey recently reported that while Ayers was running the Republican Governors Association, it "spent almost a million dollars attempting to take Dayton down during the 2010 election by funneling money to Minnesota's Future, an LLC that some allege was designed to mask the source of the funds. That setup generated campaign finance complaints which were eventually dismissed."

According to Politico, "After leaving the RGA, Ayers aided the transition of newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus."

The second coming of Ralph Reed/Karl Rove

"He is without question one of the best political talents in America," Pawlenty said of Ayers. "We are very excited Nick will lead our team. His leadership and record of winning tough races in every part of our country will provide even more momentum to our campaign to get America back on track."

In a press release, Ayers allowed that he had thought long and hard about which candidate to support/work for: "Over the past six months, I have prayed deeply about my purpose in life and how best to utilize the talents God has given me. I wanted my decision to be wholly about how best to serve Him, not what was most politically or financially expedient for my family and me.

"As He often does in walks of faith, He has called me to a higher purpose. I believe that our Nation is truly on the wrong path. We need a new direction that is positive and hopeful. Simply said, we need new leadership. I believe that Governor Pawlenty is best positioned to provide that leadership. Therefore, I am pleased today to join Governor and Mrs. Pawlenty in their pursuit of the presidency."

"In 2006," Birkey reported, Ayers "ran the campaign for Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue, the first Republican elected to that state's executive office since Reconstruction. It was during the 2006 campaign that Ayers was arrested" on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol; a charge that was later dropped. According to Politico, "Ayers has long maintained he was sober and paid a fine for a lesser violation."