Terry McAuliffe sends a shout out to Tim Kaine
In veepstakes news, former DNC head and Clinton campaign chair Terry McAuliffe – speaking before the Fairfax Country Democratic Committee – suggested that Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine would be the best choice as Barack Obama’s running mate. Earlier this year, I gave my (somewhat premature) opinion on the possibility of an Obama/Kaine ticket:
Seeing as how the safest/smartest thing to do is to go with a white guy, if I were going to recommend a vice presidential pick, I’d point to Virginia governor Tim Kaine. He’s the popular liberal governor of a relatively conservative “purple” state, and with his status as an actual Washington outsider, he can convincingly present himself as an agent of change (even though he’s a white southerner). Kaine gives an Obama ticket regional variation and bolster Obama’s message of change. As an added bonus, he’s personable and a very good campaigner, but his lack of star power suggests that he wouldn’t overshadow Obama (which is important). And it certainly doesn’t hurt that – as one of the early supporters of Obama – he believes in the potential transformative power of an Obama presidency.
For the most part, I stand by that assessment; Virginia is officially a swing state (the latest polling shows Obama in a virtual dead heat with McCain), and having two popular governors on the ticket (Mark Warner is running for Senate) is sure to increase Democratic turnout in the fall. And over the past few months, the Obama campaign has pumped a lot of resources into the state; there are currently twenty field offices, with plans for four more: two in Southwest Virginia and two others in Northern Virginia. The McCain campaign, on the other hand, hasn’t even opened an office yet, and doesn’t seem to be trying to contest the state. With a grassroots advantage, and the “energy” advantage of having a Virginian on the ticket, it seems like Obama would be in a good position to win the state in November.
That said, there are serious disadvantages to having Kaine on the ticket. For one, as Kathy G. notes in her profile of the Democratic vice presidential contenders, he’s terribly inexperienced, with only a few years of elected office to his name (he served as Lieutenant Governor from 2001 to 2005 before being elected as governor), and almost no international experience. Moreover, Kaine’s opposition to the death penalty, as well as his pro-gun control stance, could hurt an Obama/Kaine ticket in more conservative areas. Kaine is also vulnerable to criticism from the left. He has a “faith-based” opposition to abortion, and has expressed a willingness to support abstinence-only education (though he recently refused federal funding for abstinence programs) and partial-birth abortion bans. And considering that Obama is still working to heal his relationship with both Democratic women and the Clinton-wing of the party, it’s probably not a good idea to put a pro-life politician on the ticket (especially when you have the equally competent Kathleen Sebilius or Janet Napolitano).
Even if Kaine isn’t on the ticket*, I think he’d make an excellent addition to the Obama campaign and an Obama administration. By all accounts, Kaine is a tireless and enthusiastic campaigner, and is fully capable of playing the “bulldog” when the time calls for it. And, as a former civil rights layer (he spent seventeen years representing clients who were denied housing opportunities because of their race or disabilities) he would make an excellent choice to head the Justice Department. Kaine’s term ends in 2010, and after that, he’s ineligible to run for Governor until 2013. He’s already a star in the Virginia Democratic Party, and he’s on the verge of becoming a star in the national party too, so regardless of what happens, I doubt the Democratic leadership will let him go to waste.
(photo from flickr user jasonscott71)
