The Charlie Rose Show just posted video of its interview yesterday with Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who’s on Obama’s very short list of possible running mates. Watch it, particularly from the 15 to 30-minute marks, and you’ll see that a big reason Obama’s considering him is his fluency in discussing how his faith motivates his politics, including his transformational year as a missionary:Is there another Democrat on the national stage besides Obama himself who speaks so openly about faith’s role in his her or her political formation? Some coverage of the Kaine/Rose interview homes in on his support for a handful of curbs on abortion rights. It’s a major factor in selecting Kaine–both for the voters it could attract and upset–but God-o-Meter thinks Kaine’s manner of talking about his faith is just as important to Obama’s political calculus.Yes, some Democrats believe the way to close the God gap with the GOP is to moderate the party’s positions on divisive cultural issues like abortion. But many more believe that Democrats have lost values voters because of their rhetoric and public attitude toward religion, not their policy positions. Kaine checks both boxes.7
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posted July 31, 2008 at 5:32 pm
After listening to Tim Kaine, I can see why he is on Obama’s short list. He can deliver much of the south, many moderate and liberal Catholics and who know how many independents.
He is still my second choice however. I thing Sebelius is still more likely to give him the women’s vote that he sorely needs and still deliver on the Catholic issue.
posted August 3, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Has Sebelius really done much in office?
I doubt she could recover the Catholic vote for the Dems, especially her uniform afflication with the fervent pro-choice wing of the party.
posted August 5, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Remember, Robert, that the Democrats won Catholics in the 2006 mid-term elections, so when you say that the Dems need to “recover” the Catholic vote, you must be referring to the 2004 election, the only presidential election in the last 40 years where Democrats lost Catholics (Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton all won them; so did Gore).