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A Kaine boomlet?

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor July 25, 2008 11:35 AM

In the vice presidential watch, any statement is parsed and interpreted for hints.

So when Terry McAuliffe, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman and chief cheerleader, said very nice things about Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia this week, the political world noticed.

Speaking to the Fairfax County Democratic Party on Tuesday, McAuliffe praised Kaine as a possible running mate for Democrat Barack Obama, the Falls Church News Press reported.

The newspaper said, "He told the large audience in the school cafeteria that there are only two factors in picking a vice president. The first, he said, is the ability of the choice to govern effectively as president, if need be. The second is personal compatibility with the presidential candidate. "These are the only two factors that really matter

Chris Kofinis, a Democratic consultant, said on MSNBC today that the names he is hearing the most are Kaine, Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, and Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who accompanied Obama on a tour of Afghanistan and Iraq this week.

Kaine is being mentioned because of his close relationship with Obama. As a Globe profile last month started: "He is the popular governor of a critical swing state. He has working-class roots and a Harvard degree, and strong support from both business and labor. He is a devout Catholic and speaks fluent Spanish, and was the first governor outside Illinois to endorse Barack Obama for president."

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9 comments so far...

  1. THE BEST CHOICE FOR VP IS GENERAL WES CLARK. HE TOO IS A CATHOLIC WHO WAS WOUNDED FOUR TIMES IN VIET NAM COMING HOME ON A STRETCHER. HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL FOUR STAR GENERAL WHO GRADUATED NUMBER ONE IN HIS CLASS AT WEST POINT. HE IS QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT AND HAS CAMPAIGNED TIRELESSLY FOR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. HE IS A WINNER AND NO YOU DON'T HVE TO HAVE BEEN A POW TO BE QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT!

    DANIEL VISTA CA. HAVE VOTED IN EVERY ELECTION SINCE 1956

    Posted by daniel lynch July 25, 08 01:30 PM

  1. Way to type in all caps

    Posted by Richard July 25, 08 02:43 PM

  1. Please please pick Weak Tim Kaine

    Posted by Jim July 25, 08 03:33 PM

  1. Kaine would be an excellent choice...for McCain.

    Posted by Mark July 25, 08 05:26 PM

  1. and he is a lefty. The last two "successful" two term Presidencies were with 2 lefties on the ticket...

    Reagan BushSr.
    Clinton Gore

    Obama Kaine

    all lefties...and by the way McCain is too...

    having said that I think it is going to be Biden

    Posted by willson July 25, 08 05:28 PM

  1. I dont give a tinkers damn who the moron picks. I still wont vote for him. I saw what he did to another democrat (cheated her out of her seat in IL). That dirty low down scum bag will never get my vote.

    Posted by Paul July 25, 08 05:35 PM

  1. Obama/Kaine? Now we have two people who know nothing. I think Obama should will go with the rapper NAS as VP and his cabinet could consist of some comedienne s who uses "HO" a lot, Reverend Wright, Retzki, and Louis Farrakhan, some Hollywood stars and General Clarke as the Red Cross coordinator.

    Posted by dragonfly777 July 26, 08 08:26 AM

  1. I'm from Indiana, and frankly I'm surprised Bayh is in the running, given his fulsome support for Clinton during the primary. If Bayh had backed Obama then, he very likely would have won Indiana and the primary would have been over a month earlier, saving Obama millions of dollars and putting him in a stronger position for the general election. I'm sure that's not gone unnoticed in the Obama campaign. On Kaine, better him than Clinton.

    Posted by Michael July 26, 08 08:49 AM

  1. It seems clear that given the amount of leaking on this story, and the fact that Kaine is actually somewhat moderate on some issues, this is a trial balloon.

    Obama wants to see if the far left pitches a fit about Kaine. If they do, no Obama-Kaine ticket, if they don't, Kaine is in.

    That's from Not WRIGHT for America (www.notwrightforamerica.com), and it makes perfect sense.

    Posted by Gypsy Man July 30, 08 03:42 AM
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About political intelligence Field reports from Boston Globe reporters and editors covering the 2008 presidential campaign and the national maneuvering of Bay State politicians.

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