Sherrod Brown is a progressive senator from the must-win state of Ohio. He’s also one hell of a human-being that any Democrat would be proud to call vice president. Julian Castro is young, good-looking, and charismatic. He gives a great speech; it’s obvious he’s the future of our great party. And then, there’s Elizabeth — the iconic senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The passion and clarity of thought that she commands is a sight to behold. The Democrats are fortunate to have such public servants — their existence is proof that the progressive “bench” is quite impressive.
But none of them should be our vice president in 2017.
Let’s first consider the job we’re looking to fill. The role of vice president only has one real function: to ascend to the presidency in the event the sitting president kills over. Beyond that, the role of vice president is largely flushed out based on the political needs and management style of the president. Should Hillary Rodham Clinton be elected president on November 8, her task will be to govern a deeply-divided nation. The job of governing will likely require nuance, and largely, behind-the-scenes maneuvering to cement incremental change. Even this minimal approach assumes that Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin is still House Speaker on November 9. If he is, any pipe dreams about bold change will have vanished. President Clinton and her veep will be playing inside baseball for the first two years.
Brown, Castro and Warren are catnip to the political left; and we tend to be an insatiable bunch. We love them so passionately that we eagerly overlook their obvious weaknesses. With the possible exception of Sen. Brown, none of them have shown any ability to transcend their base and establish political consensus. Put another way, there is little evidence that any of them could do the job that they will have been elected to do. And in the case of Castro, it’s debatable that he’s even qualified to ascend to the presidency if necessary early in Clinton’s term.
Tim Kaine, 58, is a U.S. senator from Virginia. Prior to that, he was chairman of the DNC. Prior to that, he was governor of Virginia. Prior to that, he was lieutenant governor of Virginia. Prior to that, he was mayor of Richmond. You would be hard-pressed to find someone as accomplished as that being named to a major party ticket. In terms of qualifications, no one can hold a candle to Tim Kaine. Period.
Strikingly, people opposed to Kaine’s inclusion on the Democratic ticket readily concede his qualifications. They don’t even attempt to argue that there are better options on the merits. Instead, he is branded as “boring,” or “moderate” or “no fun.” It’s as if we are electing finalists for “American Idol” instead of president and vice president. Since when has competence been confused for boring? Moreover, why must our vice presidential nominee keep us entertained? Isn’t that why Hollywood exists?
Giving great speeches, commanding great crowds, and landing zingers on Donald Trump is all great fun — but it isn’t the requisite set of skills needed to serve as Hillary Clinton’s governing partner. We know that Clinton is a serious policy wonk. We know that she values preparation, due diligence and networking — even building partnerships across the political aisle. Her campaign has all but acknowledged that, if elected, the administration will forego big wins in favor of smaller victories that could have a cumulative effect. This is the absolute right way to approach a presidency in succession to Barack Obama — and it will require a vice president of varied experience, temperament and political leanings. That vice president is Tim Kaine.
The selection of Kaine would effectively guarantee a win in Virginia. Though Clinton would probably win the state anyway, picking Kaine would completely seal the deal. And a Democratic governor would replace Kaine in the U.S. Senate — a not so insignificant event. More importantly, Clinton and Kaine are more of a fit temperamentally and politically. They are both moderates. They are both political insiders. And they are both committed to working within the political system to affect change. Unlike Warren, Kaine would not upstage Clinton. Unlike Castro, Kaine is clearly qualified to become president. Unlike Brown, Kaine would be replaced in the Senate by a Democrat. To the extent that Clinton has weaknesses in the electorate, it’s among white men. Kaine would help keep the margins respectable — playing the same role for Clinton that Biden played for Obama.
Tim Kaine has diligently served our party, and literally done everything we have asked of him. He would make a great vice president of the United States. Hillary Clinton has never been known as an exciting politician, but she is deemed by many as a smart one. Tim Kaine would be the smart choice.