What we are going to get with Tim Kaine

[underpants]

I've met him several times. Mostly at speeches and when I was in a commercial for his succesful 2005 Gubernatorial run.

He was an early supporter of Obama in 2008.

When we filmed the commercial in 2005 we all met an a street in a Richmond neighborhood. There was every demographic there, I was "middle aged white guy", and two directors. As we nodded our heads while he spoke one of the directors interrupted him to move the scene. Tim shot back at him, "If you don't mind I'm actually going to answer their questions". Dead silence. We all started snickering.

I was part of a canvassing team in one of the Richmond suburbs. I personally knocked on about 1,200 doors. About a year later my family was at the Chickahominy Pow-wow (really great event) and so was he. He had coordinated a van from the Veterans Administration to be there. The tribal elders and he clearly knew one another on a first name basis. When I introduced myself he recognized my name and knew who I had worked with and where we had canvassed.

During the 2012 campaign he visited the Richmond office several times. He always made his speech and then repeated it in Spanish. He self-learned to speak Spanish on a year long Catholic mission in Honduras. THIS was a big selling point when I canvassed. During one of the office visits he finished his speech and then turned to a Hispanic gentleman who was there. "How was that?" The gentleman had a critique of the pronunciation of one word. Tim thanked him and said he'd work on it.

When he speaks his personality comes through. It doesn't even seem like he is giving a speech, it's as if he is just talking with you - each person in the audience. He's like Biden but without the polished salesman look and without the gaffs.

I hate losing him as a Senator but he is a great choice as a VP running mate if Hillary does pick him. You'll see.

[onecaliberal]

1. He's pro TPP

[tonyt53]

3. But as VP he has zero say in whether is passes or not unless there is a tie vote in the Senate.

[CentralMass]

28. And presumably would not impede efforts to pass it

[still_one]

33. and in that case the VP will do what the President wants

[underpants]

9. Yeah

Well as a first term Senator a lot of times they follow the old rule of keeping their head down and mouth mostly shut. Hillary Franken and Tim followed that rule. People like Cruz and Rand Paul don't.

[aintitfunny]

12. He is pro fast-tracking

He has not stated his support for the TPP, by what I have read. He said he is still considering it that he likes some of it but dislikes the "dispute resolution" portions.

[NorthCarolina]

13. Anti-gay too I believe, but he likely

hits all the points on the Wall Street checklist...there's big cash in their approval.

[RBInMaine]

17. It would be so nice to have a break from the Tea-Left memes.

[onecaliberal]

22. So this comment stands? You can't say anything about elected dems but calling other dems

Tea lefties is okay. Figure out what the fucking rules are and make them apply to EVERYONE.

[Historic NY]

26. Kaine is considered reliable..

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/07/23/clintons-vp-candidate-reliable-lgbt-rights/

[csziggy]

32. Specifically how do you think Kaine is anti-gay?

LGBT and gender issues

In 2006, Kaine campaigned against an amendment to the Virginia State Constitution to bar same-sex marriage,[149] and in March 2013, Kaine announced his support of same-sex marriage.[150][151]

In the Senate, Kaine co-sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would bar employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[152]

In 2005, Kaine said that "No couples in Virginia can adopt other than a married couple — that's the right policy."[153] In 2011, however, Kaine reversed his position.[154] In 2012, he stated that "there should be a license that would entitle a committed couple to the same rights as a married couple."[155]

Kaine supports the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which expands the cases in which worker can sue against gender pay discrimination.[156] Following his selection by Clinton as a running mate in 2016, Kaine was praised by the National Organization for Women.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Kaine#LGBT_and_gender_issues

AS for that amendment, since the claim is going around that Kaine voted for it:

SB 526 Constitutional amendment; marriage may exist only between a man and woman.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage. Provides for a referendum at the November 2006 election on approval of a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage. The proposed amendment provides that "only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions." The proposed amendment also prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage." Further, the proposed amendment prohibits the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage." This bill is identical to HB 101.

<SNIP>
03/15/06 House: Signed by Speaker
03/16/06 Senate: Signed by President
04/10/06 House: Bill became law without Governor's signature, Chapter 828 (effective 7/1/06)
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?061+sum+SB526

Emphasis added by me.

Kaine may have taken a little longer to "evolve" on the issue, but he has come around.

[RBInMaine]

16. He says he has problems with this and there are MANY more issues. Enough of the SHALLOW purity.

[NastyRiffraff]

38. Enough of the purity, period.

As with anyone who has been in politics for years, there will be issues that people will disagree with him, and that's FINE. If you want purity, wash with Ivory Snow.

[emulatorloo]

31. He's anti-TPP now, because HRC told him her policy is anti-TPP and he had to fall in line as VP

He agreed. Reported on Chris Hayes last night.

[tonyt53]

2. Another Joe Biden, and there is nothing wrong with that.

[Robb]

4. UP, you're an old DU fart like me.

Help me out here. Reassure me about his LGBT legislative history, because I lost a lot of space above my eyebrows when I heard he was in the veep finals on that issue alone.

[writes3000]

6. Read this

http://www.advocate.com/election/2016/7/21/clintons-vp-possibilities-and-their-lgbt-rights-records

It's honest but reassuring.

[underpants]

37. Sorry for not getting back to you on this. I'm such a dingbat.

No one was much pro-LGBT OR marriage equality even 5 years ago. At least not like now (gladly). He was running in a traditionally red state - until he helped flip it - so he had to pick his battles. He's a lawyer and he had to know that the marriages laws just simply wouldn't stand in court but he, and others, had to let that play out. You had to be from a really special district or state to be on the forefront of LGBT or marriage.

He's never lost an election by the way. City council - Mayor*- Lt. Gov - Governor - and Senate.

*the city council elected him. Richmond now publicly elects the Mayor. When he was Mayor city council was so crazy that people had cocktail parties to watch it. He ran for Lt. Gov basically saying "have you SEEN who I've been dealing with and what I got done?!?". Council included a heroin addict(Vietnam Vet), a woman who got caught in a police cruiser with the officer at 3am "discussing city business" she said, Said El Amin the "you better bring your stuff!" guy Craig Kilborn used to make fun of, and the council from the 7th or 9th followed at least 5 of his predecessors getting busted for corruption. Tim actually got things done with them.

[mcar]

5. Thanks for this

[auntpurl]

7. Here's the great speech he did during Senator Murphy's gun control filibuster

Really inspiring. I don't find him white-bread and dull at all. He's not my first choice, but I won't mind at all if it's him.

[byronius]

21. Seems like a genuine and personable public servant.

Reminds me of the VP from the movie 'Dave'.

[Hortensis]

8. Thanks for the first-person input. Very interesting,

including that Kaine's speaking Spanish was a big selling point.

It makes sense that this might actually say something more to Hispanics in a white man than it would in an Hispanic. It's probably changed somewhat now, but used to be that many Hispanics were raised by families so focused on the benefits of assimilation that they refused to speak Spanish to them, even at home. My college Spanish classes in California cruised along a little too fast because they were full of these "children" who understood a whole lot of Spanish but were taking it to learn to speak and read and write well.

As for Kaine, we'll see.

[Arkana]

10. Kaine is slightly dry, but inoffensive and a very loyal Democrat.

His Catholicism has not bled into his politics, and he's made painstaking efforts to keep it that way.

Truthfully, this time out there really weren't a lot of "exciting" picks except Elizabeth Warren, and I desperately don't want to lose her from the Senate. Plus, if she's the VP pick she can't troll the shit out of Trump on Twitter.

[tallahasseedem]

11. Much like Joe...

His Catholicism and humble demeanor will be a huge selling point to weary male voters in PA and OH.

[SunSeeker]

15. Yes, it would be a smart choice.

She needs a working class white guy whisperer--those are the voters she is weakest with. She already has the votes of progressives.

[yellowdogintexas]

25. exactly!!!! I like Sen Warren being out there as our loose cannon troll.

If she were on the ticket she would have to be nicer

[lamp_shade]

14. Thank you.

[Mr Maru]

18. Thanks for this account of him.

I appreciate the first-hand information.

[question everything]

19. He is from VA

and his replacement will be selected by a Democratic governor.

[underpants]

20. Yes

Virtually locks up Va and That is on state that Trump almost has to have - or one of equal size

[UtahLib]

23. Thank you, he seems to be a decent and principled man.

[bigtree]

24. k&r

[longship]

27. Ahhh, Yup! You've got it.

We Dems have a rather great ticket.




Kaine will be an awesome VEEP.

[Loki]

29. I think we have hit the jackpot.

Thank you for giving us more insight to this obviously remarkable man!

[underpants]

30. Check out this local reporters commentary on him

This reporter, Holmberg, is an old style reporter. He spent a full year living as a homeless person in Richmond and filed a running story on it in the local Richmond Times-Dispatch. As you can see he didn't taylor his appearance once he was hired to do TV reporting.



DU thread

[Cha]

34. You were so right, underpants! I knew nothing but the basics about him

and didn't want him. I wanted Hillary to surprise us.. Well, she surprised me and so did Sen Tim Kane!

Mahalo!

[R B Garr]

35. Great post. Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with him.

It really adds a lot. I'm getting really excited about him. I liked your comments about his wife, too. Very exceptional couple.

[AgadorSparticus]

36. Love it. Listening to his speech yesterday, I got the same impression of him.

You're right. He doesn't even sound like he is giving a speech. He just talks and it flows. As I stated earlier, he is an amazing speaker. I could listen to him all day. I can't day that of too many people.

[NastyRiffraff]

39. Thanks for your perspective underpants

I'm one of those people who knew little about Tim Kaine, but I was impressed yesterday. (At least I didn't follow the internet line of least resistance and call him boring!) I think he's a great choice too!

[NEDem]

40. K&R

[Blue_Tires]

41. I've met him as well (but not in Richmond)... Good guy