Two weeks ago, I wrote about Mike Pence, the GOP Vice Presidential Candidate. If you missed the article make sure to read it so you are informed about all the candidates. This week I’ll tell you about Tim Kaine, the Democratic nominee.
His political career has only flourished since his first win 20 years ago (he has never lost an election since).
The majority of his political career has been spent in the swing state of Virginia. He is currently Virginia’s junior senator but has also served as their governor and the mayor of Richmond, making him one of the 30 individuals who have held the roles of senator, governor and mayor. However, his greatest political title came in 2009 when he was selected as the Democratic National Convention Chair, a position he held until 2011. This former role, though, has recently come to harm Clinton and Kaine as many suspect that Clinton’s best friend, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was given the position after Clinton promised Kaine the nominee for vice president in 2016 if he stepped down as the chair because her best friend could guarantee her the nomination. Whether this is true or not, we will probably never know.
Speaking of Clinton, Kaine has the ability to greatly help and harm her current platform. Considered to be a junior Joe Biden, Kaine is an Irish Catholic raised outside Kansas City who takes a moderate approach to the liberal agenda. Similar to Vice President Biden, Kaine personally opposes abortion and the death penalty but still remains one of their largest advocates in the Senate.
While, he may not be the biggest weapon for liberals, his bilingual abilities in Spanish and English can help Clinton connect with Spanish-speaking demographics. One of his greatest accomplishments on the floor did come when he performed an entire speech in Spanish, the first of its kind. His moderate liberal agenda, though, while proven successful numerous times, can also provide easy targets for the Trump-Pence campaign. Primarily, his support of trade deals which Clinton has repeatedly tried to strike down can open new doors for arguments in future debates.
Regardless of who you may align with it is crucial to know your candidates. Besides bringing a new agenda to the liberal party, he has one of the most successful political careers out there. In his spare time, he enjoys the company of his wife (Virginia’s secretary of education) and their three children. His greatest talent outside of the political world is his ability to play the harmonica. He is well educated, having attended the University of Missouri, where he took a year off to run a technical school in Honduras, founded by the Jesuits, but went back to finish and ultimately receive a law degree from Harvard.
Whether you swing right or left, we all need to realize that come November we need to vote for who we feel is the best. So don’t let social media discourage you; instead, choose the best candidate for your ideologies.
