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Kaine as Obama’s VP Choice?
By Greg L | 14 July 2008 | National Politics, Virginia Politics | 35 Comments
Lots of pundits out there are talking about how good an idea it would be if Barack Obama selects Governor Kaine to be his running mate. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for this Chicago-area proto-communist to choose what is supposed to be relatively moderate Democrat from a southern state to soften his edge a bit, even if Kaine can’t manage to inspire even members of his own party to sign on with a legislative agenda. Of course this prompts a discussion of how things might fall out if Kaine is selected and Obama manages to win It might actually be pretty good here in Virginia if this happens.
Democrats savor the idea of having Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling elevated to Governor and getting in the way of Attorney General Bob McDonnell running for Governor in 2009, which displays a pretty poor grasp on their part of what these two men are made of. Bill Bolling would be absolutely pleased to serve out Kaine’s term, campaign for McDonnell to replace him in a public display of party unity and personal humility, and then accept front-runner status at the end of a McDonnell term. Rather than being a concern among these two political allies, such an eventuality would have Bill and Bob giving each other high-fives, and with good reason. This really is a dream scenario.
Have you ever seen a front-runner for Governor talk about how he walked away from the Governorship because it was the right thing to do, and now he’s coming back after letting his good friend lead Virginia for four years? It’s a perfect political story, especially if McDonnell does a good job, which is just about a sure bet. McDonnell has been positively stellar as AG, (with support of HB 3202 about the sole exception) and there’s no reason whatsoever to think he’d be anything other than a phenominal Governor. A strong McDonnell/Bolling partnership at the top of the Commonwealth, especially if there was some opportunity to use some strategic coattails to wrest the Senate from Dick Saslaw, would set the stage for a revival of conservative principles in Virginia that would be nothing short of historic.
Kaine as Obama’s VP would certainly spend a lot of time in Virginia stumping for Deeds or Moran, whichever manages to survive what is likely to be a bloodbath of a nomination process to obtain the nomination for Governor. If Obama manages to not screw up too badly, this might be pretty powerful, but that supposes that what would certainly be Obama’s hard-left policies as a President would have much in the way of public approval in Virginia. By the time the 2009 Governor’s race really gets underway, the honeymoon period of an Obama administration would be long gone, and if he does anything he promised when running for the nomination he would be tremendously lucky to have George Bush’s approval ratings in Virginia. Kaine would have that albatross firmly duct-taped to his neck on the campaign trail, prompting Moran/Deeds to be rather circumspect about attending public events with Kaine outside of Arlington, Fairfax and Alexandria. Elsewhere, Kaine would be hugely unpopular.
Obama closely losing the presidential election would actually put Kaine in the strongest position to campaign for Deeds or Moran. No Obama albatross, strong national recognition and the national find-raising capabilities that go along with it, and perhaps something to gripe about with a “they stole the election” diatribe to deliver, which has become a Democratic staple in the immediate aftermath of recent presidential elections. That would be a real challenge to beat back, as Kaine would entirely get out from underneath his poor leadership record as Governor and be able to talk about his experience running for VP. If the loss is more substantial, Kaine is done, unless he wants to start making documentaries about the threat of human-caused global cooling or somesuch.
While Kaine might help a national Democratic ticket, his abrupt departure to join the Obama ticket would probably be a good thing for conservatives in Virginia. Worse things could happen than to have Kaine consumed by, and inescapably associated with Barack Obama.
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Is that the best you’ve got, FrenchCanadian? Looks like you are falling back on the race card again. It’s been over played already!
Greg: It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for this Chicago-area proto-communist …
That’s why I urge Virginia conservatives to support John McCain this fall for President. A vote for McCain is a vote against Obama the commie.
FrenchCanadian,
I hope it didn’t take you too long to craft that literary masterpiece!
Budweiser now foreign owned, GM slashing jobs…… anybody want to discuss the issues or is hatred the only issue? I can do either, just want to know what the prevailing thought is for the most conservative blog in VA!!
Gee, while I was typing that succint and insightful post regarding the Kaine’s popped up from Kain Hater. Guess I have my answer??
Tell me, doesn’t all that spinning make you dizzy?
If Obama selects Kaine *and* wins Virginia, you really think that’s a “good thing” for conservative politics in the Commonwealth? You’re leaving a lot of recent history out of this “analysis.”
Just a refresher…
-Democrats win two straight elections for Governor (with five of the last seven Governors coming from the Democratic Party).
-Democrat Webb beats Republican incumbent Allen for Senate.
-Democrats take back the State Senate and cut into the Republican majority in the house.
-Democrat Mark Warner likely to beat Republican Gilmore for Senate in November.
-Democrats likely to pick up at least one House seat in Virginia (VA-11) with other seats in possible jeopardy (Thelma Drake is vulnerable).
This trend towards Virginia voting less conservative didn’t start with this election cycle. It will take more than the “albatross” of a sitting VP campaigning to reverse that trend.
Obama says US strategy in Iraq is unsound
By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
6 minutes ago
“By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe,” Obama said in remarks prepared for delivery at the International Trade Center in Washington. “In fact — as should have been apparent to President Bush and Sen. McCain — the central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/ap_on_el_pr/obama_iraq;_ylt=AlVvwCrkh1DIsb6Z3OLkrqus0NUE
We will lose Iraq if he is elected.
My guess is that Obama is still more likely to pick Richardson than Kaine for Veep. Richardson is also a Governor, has foreign policy experience, brings in a swing state, and gives a little more impression of providing Obama with adult supervision. That, and picking Richardson would help appeal to the Hispanic vote.
I admit that we all can be wrong about all this.
Ron: I agree. Richardson is the most likely VP pick. Kaine brings nothing to the ticket. He is so bland sometimes it looks like he’s just going to disappear. Plus, he seems to have just adequate intelligence. He is in way over his head as governor. I hope Obama does pick Kaine but I don’t think Obama is that stupid.
There will a plenty of sore noses - from being so
tightly held - in both parties between now and the
Prez election in Nov.
- Conservative GOPers can blog rant all they want
but the two choices are Obama and McCain -
there is no good choice, only the better one.
- Obama will pick Hillary and unite the Dems.
“Turn PW Blue said on 15 Jul 2008 at 7:29 am:
Tell me, doesn’t all that spinning make you dizzy?”
Turn PW,
I couldn’t agree with you more. This trend has been most unsettling to me, a conservative. However, I do see the ebb and flow of it as somewhat natural. Early and Kilgore were not the strongest candidates, and both ran pretty bad campaigns. Warner, while a tax-raiser, was an effective speaker and campaigner. Kaine road in on Warner’s coat-tails. However, I do see the GOP regaining the Gov’s mansion with McDonnell, but I predict that they will lose more senate seats, and a few more in the house.
Gilmore will get beat. Not because he is a bad candidate, or wasn’t an effective governor. He’ll get beat because Warner was fortunate to govern during a national economic boom, and the only thing he did to really piss off conservatives was to raise taxes. He was good on guns. If I am not incorrect, he was pretty good on the death penalty. I think the thing people don’t realize is that he had to “play along”, because the GOP controlled both houses, and if he wanted any part of his agenda passed, he needed to pass most of what the GOP sent him.
There is a schisim in the GOP. Hard-core conservatives spent many of the years the GOP had the majority, targeting moderates and those they claimed to be “RINO’s”. Many of these “RINO’s” asked to be targeted, like Russ Potts, with too many contraversial votes. Some did not. Some were just deemed “not consevative enough”. This has lead to some serious infighting. One only have to look at last few years in the PWCGOP to see what I am talking about.
This schisim exists at the national level. While I agree with this blogs owner on almost everything, I cannot see how having John McCain defeated, and Obama/Reid/Pelosi running this country into the ground supports the conservative agenda. In a war, when faced with a grave threat, do you say “better to go ahead and lose this one, because I don’t like the General selected to lead our forces. Yes, better to lose this one, and then win the next one when we have a better general”?
“Have you ever seen a front-runner for Governor talk about how he walked away from the Governorship because it was the right thing to do, and now he’s coming back after letting his good friend lead Virginia for four years?”
That is pretty much what happened recently in Idaho. Gov. Dirk Kempthorne was tapped to be U.S. Interior Sec. LG Jim Risch was elevated to Gov., but U.S. Rep. Butch Otter was already running. So, Risch ran for reelection as LG after serving as Gov., deferring to Otter who was already in the race for Gov. Now, Risch is the frontrunner to be the next U.S. Sen. from Idaho.
I was under the impression that Kaine had pretty much turned it down. Am I wrong or just naive?
Here’s our take on it.
http://roanokevalleyrepublicans.blogspot.com/2008/07/message-to-senator-obama-please-pick.html
Yep, a FRENCHcanadian, as in
press 1 for English.
I sent you a e-mail yesterday containing a link to one of my posts on my blog entitled,” Tim Kaine For VP? A Natural Choice For Obama.” Wanting to know your thoughts on it. Did you recieve it? One thing your post doesn’t mention is Kaine’s appointment of Omeish to the VA. Commision on immigration. Omeish resigned after the media uproar sparked by Littlegreenfootballs and Todd Gilbert. In case you didn’t recieve the e-mail, here’s the link again:http://amerisrael.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/recent-news-has-it-that-virginia-govenor-tim-kaine-may.html Would like to know your thoughts.-john clements [Amerisrael]
Johnson - I was under the same impression - but turned out to be recalling Webb and Warner. Neither one interested in Obama running mate role.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042805/post
Speculations and predictions aplenty:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2045783/posts
I really do not see Bolling stepping down - his ego is just too big for that. Looking at who he has accepted money from for his various campaigns proves that he cares more about winning than about doing what is right.
Here’s our take on Kaine for VP. I say please pick Kaine for VP Senator Obama.
http://roanokevalleyrepublicans.blogspot.com/2008/07/message-to-senator-obama-please-pick.html
While you folks rearrange the political deck chairs
you may want to look over the side of our economic
Titanic and see the water coming up quickly and,
surprise, there aren’t enough life boats (who needs them,
cost too much and this ship will never sink).
The good Captain W has also distained sissy worries
about icebergs and such — full speed ahead! Damn
the regulations! Even sent down one of his aides to tell
the folks in the water to stop being such wimps
- drowning would be good for them.
— My retirement “plan” 401K is now a 301K and dropping.
— The stock market is in free fall. An estimated 150
banks will go belly up.
— Unemployment rising ( worse summer
for teen job seekers in decades). Inflation skyward.
– And the list goes on.
The VP for either party has to have far more economic savy
than either candidate and much more than that damn
dunce in the WH now.
I have a hunch that Obama won’t pick Richardson…too risky to have two minority candidates on the Democratic ticket.
Romney and Biden
it’s a lock
McCain had a backroom deal with Romney when Romney dropped out
Ohhhhh Obama is gonna lose big, plus Kaine will probably resign to campaign full time. if Obama makes this monumental mistake McCain can get Huckabee and trounce (with the help of the evangelical vote) the Wicked, Perverted, Filthy, Sinful, Murdering, Sodomizing, Tax Raising team that would usher in the last days for the world.
Flavius Maximus: Warner was fortunate to govern during a national economic boom, and the only thing he did to really piss off conservatives was to raise taxes
Good point. Bill Clinton also benefitted. And Barack Obama will too if he wins and the economy rebounds during his term, whether he deserves the credit or not. And he will likely get a second term as a result! IS THAT WHAT WE WANT? 8 YEARS OF OBAMA?
Benton,
Sure we can discuss the issues you want.
Obama says he is concerned with the loss of American jobs that have been transfered overseas, yet supports a program that would allow illegals to stay here and increase the illegal immigration of more workers to take even more jobs from America. How is that good for the Nation? Obama instead wants to place the blame elsewhere like on “big” business. Now, I have no problem blaming companies where it is right to do so. However, I also know that we should not reward illegals and enc rouge even more illegal immigration.
Obama is against expanding domestic oil drilling, which keeps us dependent on foreign oil. How is that good for America?
Timmy Kaine is an awful pick, but it would let us get rid of him, of course, I suppose if he does not resign, we will still be stuck with him once Obama losses to McCain.
Bwana, Obama won’t pick Richardson for VP. Pretty much for the same reason why Marky Mark was forced out of the presidential race.
Who’s the Communist? Who’s the proto-Communist from Chicago? didn’t realize they were still trying to run candidates. Sometimes I feel like I get behind in my reading.
Obama’s honeymoon will be far from over by November, 2009. As the bad news continues over the summer it will become more and more obvious just how bad the Bush Administration has been for America. Obama, wisely campaigning as an outsider, will (somewhat correctly) claim that he needs more than one year to undo the mess done by eight years of Republican rule. The arch-conservatives will carp but everybody else will give him the benefit of the doubt for at least two years. Look back at November, 1981 and tell me if Reagan had seen his post-Carter honeymoon evaporate.
The Republicans under Bush have dug themselves at least a deep a hole as the Deomocrats under Carter. Beyond that, the Republican Party has no rudder and is increasingly irrelevent to middle of the road voters. The youth vote has been lost for a decade.
If Obama is elected and turns out to be a horrible president, the backlash won’t start until the run up to the 2012 election. The hope that a failing Obama will save Virginia for the Republicans in 2009 is pure hallucination.
All this talk of Kaine for VP is BS. Kaine is one of the single most ineffective Governors in the nation right now.
Personally, I would love to see Obama select Kaine as his running mate … Two unknowns, with little experience - just what Americans do NOT want.
It has been said before that even when the Democrats are winning, they always seem to find a way to shoot themselves in the foot.
I say give Obama the gun and let him blow his foot off …. and Kaines.
=====
Not that Juan McCain is much of a prize.
Bwana,
I thought that Obama and Richardson were each HALF minorities! LOL
I’m suprised Warner isn’t getting more attention as a potential VP candidate. He really is locked in on that senate seat.
Warner declined:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/08/virginias-warner-saying-no-to-obama-vp-spot/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042805/posts
Mark Warner is proof that you should sometimes vote Republican.
Let’s not forget that McCain sponsored the immigration bill along with Teddy (Chapaquiddick) Kennedy… boy… are we screeeeewed!