“He’s guilty of not starting a fight with another major Republican candidate in the first major appearance,” Mr. Weber said. “I understand why he’s taking flak on this, but there’s something to be said for having avoided getting into a food fight.”

Mr. Weber added that the media’s attention span, especially in Washington, is not very long. “The subject will change,” he said. “Something will happen. Anthony Weiner will resign. Something will happen.”

The next major hurdle for Mr. Pawlenty could be the release of fund-raising information at the end of this month. His aides have been consistently downplaying their expectations, telling reporters that they know he will have raised less money than Mr. Romney and others.