From Va.-Sabato weighs in & Top 10 Reasons not to choose Kaine

[underpants]

Personally I don't think Kaine is the right pick. You should offset yourself somewhat and the fact that Tim might take off before serving the full term (one term at a time in Va.) wouldn't go over too well especially with the people who report on politics around here (read: the are stuck in RED STATE Va.).

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/vice_president_tim_kaine.html
As with all potential Veep picks, there are pluses and minuses. Let's start with Kaine's advantages:
1. Personal Chemistry-Harvard Law, Kansas
2. Emphasis on Domestic Policy
3. Out-of-Washington Change
4. Virginia
5. Special Qualities

There are no perfect people, and that goes double for VP picks. So Kaine brings certain disadvantages and baggage to Obama, too:
1. Lack of Experience Where It Is Most Needed
2. The Hillary Factor
3. Kaine's Governorship-Sabato displays conventional wisdom of Va. pol writers that is -ignore that everything has been blocked by a Republican party in the midst of a civil war itself.
4. The Aftermath in Virginia-Lt.Gov Bolling (R) would take over and THEN get to run for a full term


--From the Norfolk/Tidewater newspaper--
Top 10 reasons not to choose Kaine
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_kainebox2_0730jul30,0,5485498.story

No. 10: It doesn't really matter. See No. 10 reason to choose Kaine.

No. 9: He's too partisan. An aggressive campaigner, Kaine is all too eager to take on Republicans. During the transportation debate this year, he essentially dared the GOP to put up or shut up. Obama talks about breaking down old barriers. Does Kaine fit the mold?

No. 8: Drop the prepared text. To put it nicely, one candidate on the Obama-Kaine team would be really good at giving prepared speeches. Reading from a teleprompter would have to be kept to a minimum.

No. 7: Tim who? With fewer than 100 days until Election Day, will Kaine have enough time to sell himself to voters outside Virginia?

No. 6: Kaine would leave Virginia to the Republicans. If Kaine is elected vice president, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a conservative Republican, moves into the Executive Mansion and could run for a full term in 2009.

No. 5: Lack of executive experience. Yes, this experience thing cuts both ways. Kaine has been governor since only 2006. Before that, he was the council-appointed mayor of Richmond. Republicans could exploit an Obama-Kaine ticket as too young and inexperienced.

No. 4: Kaine's record, or lack thereof, as governor. Since taking office in 2006, Kaine has failed to rally support for a transportation funding plan. He pushed through reforms in mental health, but that was propelled by the Virginia Tech tragedy.

No. 3: Kaine and Obama are very much alike. Is that a good thing? Why not balance the ticket with a governor like Pennsylvania's Ed Rendell, who backed Hillary Clinton and appeals to blue-collar voters?

No. 2: No foreign policy experience. Voters remain concerned about fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the ticking time bomb that is Iraq. Kaine's missionary experience doesn't exactly prepare him for geopolitics.

No. 1: The top reason not to choose Kaine? The Eyebrow. You know what we mean. Kaine's arcing eyebrow is the only thing most people remember about the governor's Democratic response to the State of the Union address in 2006. Don't believe us? Google " Tim Kaine eyebrow" and see what you get.

[bluestateguy]

1. The O-Man can do better

I would still go with either Bayh, Richardson or Biden.

[Catchawave]

2. Virginia will stay Red if Bolling takes over, so not a good

electoral move. We already have a Republican Assembly.

I'm assuming Kaine will resign if he's picked? I don't know how he can serve Virginia while running for VP?

[underpants]

5. Bollling looks like he sells rapture insurance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bolling

I don't think Tim taking off will set well around here. Of course all of this may just be as a thanks for his early support, let Virginians know that Obama has them in mind/they almost had a VP, sending Kaine up and then yank him down to send someone else up as a SURPRISE!!!

Don't forget that the Olympics -with Congress taking off for August (slow news month normally) -is going to make the VP decisions TIMING ever so important. The conventions start on the 25th I think and the Olympics run from the 8th until the 24th. THEN the Dems convention starts the next day (August 25-28) and the Republicans take their wide stance in Minneapolis starting that following Friday (Sept. 1-4).

Something to keep in mind.

[Catchawave]

17. LOL....I remember news cycles

Damned if John Edwards didn't announce the week Gerald Ford died (R.I.P.) We were crushed.

:cry:

:kick:

[TwilightGardener]

3. Now I'm almost tempted to google "Tim Kaine eyebrow". You know, one speech

should not disqualify someone--Sebelius's wasn't that good either. That said, these folks raise valid points.

[ruggerson]

8. I watched it last week again

that was the only thing that kept my attention. It has a life of its own.

[TwilightGardener]

12. Bwah! I'm afraid to look, because it will forever distract me if he ends

up the VP.

[KittyWampus]

11. you really think that bullshit is valid?

[TwilightGardener]

13. Well, a rogue eyebrow is not the worst insult I've ever heard slung at somebody.

The rest of the arguments are possibly worth considering--I am not sold on Kaine, but I'll accept whomever Obama chooses.

[ErinBerin84]

4. lol

" He's too partisan. An aggressive campaigner, Kaine is all too eager to take on Republicans."

This is a negative? I thought that all of the DUers last night were saying that he WAS a virtual Republican, haha.

[InNeedOfUserName]

6. regarding No. 7

<No. 7: Tim who? With fewer than 100 days until Election Day, will Kaine have enough time to sell himself to voters outside Virginia?>

...I live in Virginia and if you were to pass around a photograph of him 95% of Virginians would not recognize him.


Sorry about that Gov.

[flpoljunkie]

7. Kaine looks good when compared to DLC Bayh and Biden who would make a poor #2 with his outsized ego

[underpants]

9. I've been for Richardson for a long time

I think he is the pick for several reasons. Others too but Richardson is the best IMHO

[KittyWampus]

10. you should be ashamed of yourself for the pathetic asinine list

No. 9: He's too partisan. HELLO? THAT'S WHAT A VP DOES. And that take is at odds with every other account of the man I've heard.

No. 8: Drop the prepared text. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VP. KAINE WOULD BE ADEQUATE

No. 7: Tim who? YOU GET A POLITICIAN WITH HIGH NAME RECONGITION YOU GET A RECORD EASY TO TEAR APART

No. 6: Kaine would leave Virginia to the Republicans. KAINE WOULDN'T BE RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION ANYWAY

No. 5: Lack of executive experience. EITHER HE IS OR IS NOT A GOVERNOR WITH EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE

No. 4: Kaine's record, or lack thereof, as governor. HE DIDN'T WORK ON SOME PET ISSUE (TRANSPORTATION) AND HE'S DONE NOTHING? NO RECORD?

No. 3: Kaine and Obama are very much alike. THEY AREN'T FUCKING TWINS

No. 2: No foreign policy experience. OBAMA IS APPARENTLY COMFORTABLE STANDING ON HIS OWN MERITS. WHY CONCEDE FOREIGN POLICY TO THE REPUBLICANS

No. 1: The top reason not to choose Kaine? SUPERFICIAL BULLSHIT

[Lyric]

14. It would be an enormous betrayal to the state of Virginia to take Kaine away.

They voted with their hearts and souls for a Democrat. If Obama takes Kaine, that leaves Virginia in the hands of the Republicans--the party that they did NOT vote for.

The home of Thomas Jefferson deserves better from us than to have the right to determine their own governing party stripped away, and to be left at the mercy of a Governor of the opposite party, who's probably going to do as much damage as he possibly can. We might even lose Virginia as purple-trending-blue state if we allow this betrayal to happen.

NO state deserves to have Republican leadership forced upon them without their consent. Obama, choose someone who isn't going to leave behind a spot that a Repuke is destined to fill.

[Marrah_G]

15. There is no reason to question anything. GoBama!

[TexasObserver]

16. he looks good on paper, but I still have reservations

I hate to say it, but I don't think he looks presidential. I think most of voters who are not yet decided make their decisions on the most basic level: they ask themselves "Do I like this one or that one?"

I don't want someone who looks like a stock boy when debating Mitt Romney. That's where Biden or Richardson help most.

The most important thing is that the VP choice not take away from Obama's drawing power. As long as people can look at the VP nominee and say "yeah, he's safe and competent," we're there. To me that is Biden or Richardson. It's not Kaine or Bayh.

Bayh always looks like he's just woke up, and is just about to dose off again.

[trewsx11]

18. Nightmare scenario: Kaine doesn't even deliver VA for Obama

I live in Northern Virginia, and Tim Kaine is no Mark Warner. He's only been an office for a few years and his approval ratings aren't anything to write home about. He is known as a tax-and-spend liberal.

If Obama picks Kaine, I'm afraid he won't even help Obama carry his homestate, and at the same time hurting Obama everywhere else. Kaine may very well be a disaster waiting to happen.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. "Ticket balancing" is old conventional wisdom bullshit

People vote for the President and not the VP. Kaine is not an extraordinary choice and that's part of his appeal. It will keep the focus where it needs to be, on Obama.